Biochemical demonstration of malnutrition state in early weaned half-bred zebu calves

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that early weaning, rather than stress, may induce malnutrition in calves. Sixty out of 120 half-bred zebu suckling-calves (60-75 days old) were weaned at day 0 and fed with a commercial balanced diet (group E), while the rest continued suckling (grou...

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Autor principal: Coppo, José Antonio
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria 2023
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Acceso en línea:http://repositorio.unne.edu.ar/handle/123456789/51290
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Sumario:The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that early weaning, rather than stress, may induce malnutrition in calves. Sixty out of 120 half-bred zebu suckling-calves (60-75 days old) were weaned at day 0 and fed with a commercial balanced diet (group E), while the rest continued suckling (group C). Blood samples were taken on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, 90 and 120, and sera nutritional indicators were determined by conventional methods. Comparing the final results of both groups, C versus E, decreases in sera concentrations (p < 0.05) of albumin (3.39±0.29 versus 3.20±0.24 g/dl), urea (0.30±0.04 versus 0.25±0.03 g/l), triglycerides (0.36±0.10 versus 0.21±0.09 g/l), hemoglobin (13.8±1.1 versus 11.7±1.4 g/dl), iron (112±17 versus 92±20 ug/dl), copper (80±19 versus 59±20 ug/ dl), and weight (158.7±11.7 versus 139.4±11.6 kg) were registered in group E. Differences between C and E began to be significant from day 7 to 21. Results suggest malnutrition in animals of group E. At the end of the assay, the declining tendency of nutritional indicators tended to revert to normal values. Such changes are attributed to compensatory growth. The absence of a consequential increment in sera urea, triglycerides, hemoglobin and copper concentrations, neither clinical alterations nor deaths, discount the existence of stress in early weaned calves.