Relative merits of offering a milk replacer, glucose-electrolyte, or whey-based diet on the blood composition and health of unweaned calves after transport

Abstract

The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the relative merits of offering unweaned calves 3 different types of diets to meet energy and water deficits that can occur during journeys. A total of 6 young unweaned male Holstein calves were randomly selected from within 2 body weight ranges (median 48 and 42 kg) from each of 29 loads (total n = 174 calves) transported from an auction market or a collection center to a calf sorting center before transport to a veal unit. The calves were then randomly allocated to one of 3 dietary treatments (n = 58 calves/dietary treatment). They were offered either a milk replacer diet (M), a glucose-electrolyte diet (G) or a whey-based diet with added electrolytes (W). The ability of these diets to provide sufficient nutrient energy to restore vigor, and avoid hypoglycemia and clinical signs of dehydration without increasing the risk of diarrhea was assessed. A clinical assessment of dehydration, health, and vigor was made, and the calves were blood sampled before feeding and at 2 h and 4 h after feeding. The plasma glucose concentration was increased 2 h and 4 h after feeding the M and W diets. The increases in plasma glucose concentration were greater 2 h and 4 h after (1) feeding the M than after the W diet and (2) feeding the M and W diets than after the G diet. Back-transformed means and 95% CI for the ratio of the plasma glucose concentration at 4 h compared with 0 h for the M, G, and W diets were 1.2 mM (CI = 1.21, 1.35), 0.95 mM (CI = 0.92, 0.97), and 1.09 mM (CI = 1.06, 1.14), respectively. We found no effect of diet on the change in serum total protein concentration between before feeding and 2 h and 4 h after feeding. The serum osmolality was lower 2 h after feeding the G diet. The fall in serum osmolality was greater 2 h after feeding the G diet than after feeding the M and W diets. The changes in the serum osmolality between before feeding and 2 h after feeding for the milk replacer, glucose-electrolytes and whey-based diets were −0.68 mOsmol (CI = −3.27, 1.91); −5.23 mOsmol (CI = −7.82, and −2.64); and −0.13 mOsmol (CI = −2.77, 2.51), respectively. The diet offered at the sorting center had no effect on subsequent growth on the veal-rearing farm between arrival and slaughter (milk replacer, 1.22 kg/d [CI = 1.17, 1.28]; glucose-electrolyte diet, 1.23 kg/d [CI = 1.18, 1.28]; whey-based diet 1.28 kg/d [CI = 1.23, 1.33]). The M diet provided the calves with nutrients and water to replace energy and water deficits that had accumulated before arrival at the sorting center, and these dietary benefits were still apparent 4 h after feeding. The benefits of the W diet were similar to those of the M diet, but the M diet was better able to assist the calves in maintaining their plasma glucose concentration 4 h after feeding than the W diet. The G diet had some short-term benefits in providing energy and assistance to the calves to recover from dehydration, as indicated by a decrease in serum osmolality. However, the G diet was clearly inferior to the M and W diets in providing sufficient energy to assist the calves in recovering from the effects of transport and fasting. During the 4 h after feeding, no adverse effects of offering the calves the M or W diets were observed. The benefits of the W diet in replacing energy and water deficits were similar to those of the M diet, but the M diet was better able to assist the calves in maintaining their blood glucose concentration 4 h after feeding than the W diet.