The effect of formaldehyde treatment of peanut meal in concentrate diets on the performance of calves

Abstract

Four groups of eight Friesian bull calves were given concentrate diets containing untreated or formaldehyde-treated peanut meal at two protein levels. The effect of protein level and of formaldehyde treatment was studied in terms of liveweight gain, food conversion, digestibility of the diet, and the levels of urea, glucose, and α-amino nitrogen in blood plasma. The calves were given the diets for 14 weeks from 6 weeks of age. The calves given the higher protein diets grew significantly faster and required significantly less food per unit of gain than did the calves given the lower protein diets. Formaldehyde treatment of the peanut meal in the higher protein diet had no effect on these variables. Small improvements in these variables in response to treatment of the meal in the lower protein diet were not statistically significant. Treatment was associated with reductions in nitrogen digestibility and plasma urea levels. The digestibility of dry matter and of organic matter and plasma levels of glucose and α-amino nitrogen were not affected by the treatment.