Plant protein in milk replacers for rearing buffalo calves. II. Effect of replacing 75% of the milk proteins by plant proteins on the preweaning performance of buffalo calves.

In an experiment, 9 female and 6 male buffalo calves at the age of 3 to 4 weeks were divided into 3 groups. The animals were given milk replacers in which 75% of the dried skim milk protein had been replaced by American soybean flour (ASP), Egyptian soya meal (ESP), or corn glutine (GP). Scouring occurred in all groups during the first 3 weeks of the experiment, continuing up to the fourth week in groups ESP and GP. In groups ESP and GP one calf each died. During the first 3 weeks of the experiment, the calves consumed on average 747, 631, 787 g dry matter (DM) as liquids. They achieved live weight gains of 314, 83, -286 g/d, with significant differences between the groups. The digestibility of the crude protein was 73, 74, 70%. During the second period--up to 70 or 62.5 kg live body weight--only groups ASP and ESP were investigated. The calves consumed 1.64 or 1.66 kg DM/d as liquid and dry feedstuff. The average daily weight gain was 3.87 or 3.50 TDN/kg ADG. During this period, the crude protein was digested by 76 or 73%.