Abstract
The effects of choice feeding and season on the feeding behaviour and growth performance of calves
Highlights
Young animals that follow their parents and feed together with them can learn to select food types (Phillips and Youssef, 2003)
It was recently found that choice-fed lambs (Rodriguez et al, 2007) and goats (Gorgulu et al, 2008) are able to correctly meet their nutrient requirements by selecting a diet corresponding to their physiological status and environmental conditions
The differences in milk composition in the different seasons may be attributed to the difference in the colostrum content of the milk used in calf feeding in the different seasons because calving occurred primarily during the cool season at the experimental farm
Summary
Young animals that follow their parents and feed together with them can learn to select food types (Phillips and Youssef, 2003). Calves are separated from the mother at an early age and have limited visual contact with their parents and peers. This practice may cause calves difficulty in learning to consume safe and nutritious feeds to meet all nutrient requirements according to their physiological status. Animals decrease their feeding activity, divert it to a cooler time of the day, and increase concentrate intake by selecting feeds for behavioural adaptation (Silanikove, 2000). It was recently found that choice-fed lambs (Rodriguez et al, 2007) and goats (Gorgulu et al, 2008) are able to correctly meet their nutrient requirements by selecting a diet corresponding to their physiological status and environmental conditions. The expected changes in eating patterns and preferences will affect their growth performance and ruminal development
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