Provision of beta-glucan prebiotics (cellooligosaccharides and kraft pulp) to calves from pre- to post-weaning period on pasture.

Abstract

We conducted two feeding experiments to evaluate the effects of supplementation with either cellooligosaccharide or kraft pulp on growth performance in grazing beef calves (Japanese Black) from 4weeks pre-weaning to 12 to 16weeks post-weaning. In Experiment 1 (20-week duration), nine calves (2.9-month-old females) were assigned to either a control group (CON) or an experimental group (CEL) fed cellooligosaccharide at a rate of 10g/day mixed with concentrate. Average daily weight gain tended to be greater in CEL than in CON, especially after 1month of weaning. In Experiment 2 (16-week duration), 10 calves (2.0-month-old females) were assigned to either a control group or an experimental group (KRA) fed kraft pulp at a rate of 10% replacement of total digestible nutrients with concentrate. The proportion of fibrolytic bacteria increased and that of methanogenic Archaea decreased in the rumen microbial community composition of KRA calves in Experiment 2, whereas the decrease in Fibrobacter and Archaea was observed in CEL calves at first 4weeks in Experiment 1. We conclude that beta-glucan prebiotic supplementation to grazing calves at pre-weaning would affect rumen microbial composition and modified rumen fermentation characteristics, leading to a better rumen environment via different means.