Nutrition of Young Dairy Calves

1. Study on Chromic Oxide and Polyethylene Glycol as Index Substances of Digestion Trial with Young Dairy Calves

Abstract

In order to compare index method with total collection method, the digestion trials of two kind of milk replacers with four male Holstein young calves were carried out. Chromic oxide and polyethylene glycol were used as index substances. Recovery of the index substances, its variation in the feces, the digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, starch and soluble sugar were determined with the calves from 11 days to 25 days old.
The recovery of chromic oxide and polyethylene glycol were 92.4 and 68.3% respectively. The coefficients of variation of chromic oxide and polyethylene glycol excreted in the feces were 17.6 and 37.8% respectively. There were not significant differences in the digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, starch and soluble sugar between the chromic oxide index method and total collection method.
It was found that polyethylene glycol could not be used as index substance for digestion trial with the young calves on account of its low recovery and its large variation, but chromic oxide could.