Efficacy of molasses inclusion in maize based supplements for early weaned Bos indicus cross calves

Abstract

Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. I996 Vol. 21 EFFICACY OF MOLASSES INCLUSION IN MAIZE BASED SUPPLEMENTS FOR EARLY WEANED Bos Indicus CROSS CALVES A.C. SCHLINK CSIRO Division of Tropical Animal Production, PMB, PO Aitkenvale, Qld 4814 Present Address: CSIRO Division of Animal Production, Private Bag, PO Wembley, W.A. 6014 Schlink et al. (1988) showed that early weaning reduced lactational anoestrous and 50 to 60 kg liveweight weaned calves could be successfully reared using maize based supplements. Molasses is considerably cheaper and a more readily available energy source in northern Queensland. The present experiment examines the potential of molasses to substitute for maize in the concentrate supplements for early weaned Bos indicus cross calves. The experiment was carried out in covered pens at Lansdown Research Station (19'4O'S, 146'48'E). Thirty six early weaned Bos indicus cross calves (initial weight 83+,9 kg) were paired on the basis of similar liveweight, 1 of 6 supplements was allocated to 1 of 18 pens and fed with ad Zibitum chaffed, Stylosanthes hmzmdgrass hay (DMD 46.4% and N 1.2%) for 84 days. Control supplement was fed at the rate of 1.96 kg DM/day and contained 69.2% crushed maize, 26% formaldehyde treated sunflower seed meal, 2.4% limestone, 1.3% salt and 1.1% sodium monophosphate. The 5 supplements containing molasses were fed at an iso-energetic rate with 7.5, 14.7, 29.2,44.5 and 58.3% molasses inclusion substituting for maize on an ME basis in the supplement. Supplements and hay were fed daily in separate containers. Calves were weighed weekly prior to feeding along with the recording of chaff and supplement orts. Chrome oxide slow release capsules were administered at day 70 to determine DMD in the last 7 days of the experiment. Results were analysed for significance using analysis of variance. The results are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Mean initial and final liveweights (kg), daily liveweight gain (ADG ;kg&ad.day), chaff intake (kg DM/day), supplement intake (kg DM/day), daily feed intake to ADG (FCR) and DMD (%) for calves fed with increasing concentrations of molasses inclusions in the supplement SCHLINK, A.C., GIBSON, D.S., LIANG, Z.J. and DIXON, R.R. (I 988). Proc. Aust. Sot. Anim. Prod. 17: 326-9. 367