Efeito da adição de prebiótico no leite e no concentrado sobre o desempenho e aspectos sanitários de bezerros de rebanhos leiteiros

Abstract

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of a prebiotic, composed of citric acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, yeast cell wall, citric fruit extracts and vitamin C, added to the whole milk and to the post weaning concentrate of 20 Holstein or Holstein-Zebu crossbred males and females calves, from birth to 120 days of age. Calves were assigned to a 2x2 factorial with the following experimental treatments: (1) milk and post weaning concentrate without prebiotic; (2) milk with and post weaning concentrate without prebiotic; (3) milk without and post weaning concentrate with prebiotic; and (4) milk and post weaning concentrate with prebiotic. Prebiotic concentration in whole milk was 0.5%, added just before feeding, and 0,04% on the post weaning concentrate. Calves were kept in individual hutches throughout the trial. They were fed 5 kg of milk/animal/day for 56 days, and a starter (18% crude protein) was offered ad libitum during this period. After weaning, the only available feed was a concentrate (19% crude protein) offered up to 2 kg/animal/day. Prebiotic did not affect (P>.05) average daily weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency.