V.T. BURGGRAAF, M.R. PUHA and A.A. ADLER
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 68: 113-116
The interaction between parasitism and crude protein (CP) nutrition on calf liveweight gain (LWG) was investigated. One hundred and twelve calves were either administered 21,000 parasite larvae (73% Cooperia oncophora, 16% Ostertagia ostertagi, 11% Trichostrongylus axei) twice per week or drenched fortnightly with anthelmintic for 12 weeks. Calves grazed ryegrass pastures and received 40% of their diet as either low (15% CP) or high (26% CP) protein pellets. Half of the calves switched diets after six weeks. All treatments averaged a liveweight gain of at least 1 kg/d. After 12 weeks non-parasitised calves were 13 (standard error of difference (SED 2.0)) kg heavier than parasitised calves (P <0.001), and calves fed a high protein supplement were 12 (SED 2.8) kg heavier than those fed low protein supplement (P <0.001). There was no interaction between diet and parasitism (P = 0.74). Subsequently calves grazed together for a further 12 weeks with no supplements or parasite dosing. The liveweight advantage of the high protein supplement was lost, while non-parasitised calves maintained a liveweight advantage of 15 (SED 4.9) kg (P <0.01). While protein supplementation did not affect faecal egg count or blood pepsinogen it has the potential to improve LWG with less reliance on anthelmintics under field conditions.
Keywords: NZSAPAB; cattle; liveweight gain; parasite; protein
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