EFFECT OF FEEDING SYSTEM ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF BALADI COW CALVES.

Document Type : Research articles.

Author

Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Fayoum Branch, Egypt.

Abstract

Forty four entire male Baladi cow calves at 12 months of age
and averaging 280 kg in body weight were used to investigate 3
finishing systems. In the first system animals were fed ad libitum
on 11% CP diet until they reach 500 kg (system one).In the other
two systems animals were fed to gain 0.75 kg/day up to 75kg gain
in the first period, where in the 2
nd period animals were fed to gain
0.90 kg/day up to 100 kg gain in the 2
nd period and there after the
animals were fed ad libitum up to 500 kg body weight. The
sequence of The diets were 11, 13, 11 %CP in system 2 and 11, 15
and 11% CP in system 3. Growth performance, feed utilization and
feed cost/kg gain were obtained.
Results showed that under the experimental conditions stepwise feeding of male baladi cow calves ad libitum on 11% CP diet
(system one) was better than the other systems used. This is true
regarding the growth and economic parameters tested. Moreover,
calves fed on the first system showed significantly higher muscle
and less fat carcass.


Keywords