2024 Volume 95 Issue 2 Pages 85-90
The administration of antibiotics to promote growth and/or prevent diseases in livestock is being restricted, and alternatives to these substances are being developed. In this study, torula yeast extracted nucleotide was fed to crossbred beef calves during the suckling to raising periods, and its effects on growth performance and blood components were examined. Male crossbred calves were divided into three groups : a nucleotide 1.5 g fed group (R1.5), a nucleotide 3.0 g fed group (R3.0) and control group (R0) without nucleotide feeding. There was no significant difference in daily weight gain (DG) during the suckling period between the R1.5 and R3.0 group to the R0 group, but the DG tended to be greater in these two nucleotide feeding groups than in the R0 group (P<0.10). The DG from suckling to 1 month after weaning was significantly higher in the R3.0 group than in the R0 group (P<0.05). Blood components showed a significantly increase in total cholesterol (T-Cho) values in the nucleotide feeding groups compared to the R0 group at weaning (P<0.05). No negative effects of nucleotide feeding were observed, as the values of other blood components, including T-Cho, were also within normal ranges. Feeding torula yeast extracted nucleotide to crossbred beef calves was shown improvement in rearing performance during suckling to raising periods.
