Costos De Alimentación Y Salud En Becerras Holstein Bajo Diferente Sistema De Alimentación Con Leche Entera

Calf rearing is the basis for the success of any dairy production unit, a proper comprenhension of the process from birth, requires a general understanding of the biological cycle of animals in their growth and development stages. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of feeding and health in dairy calves fed with different feeding systems. To evaluate the development of suckling calves, 40 Holstein calves were randomly selected in 2 groups of 20 calves each, separated from their dams at birth and housed in individual wooden cages previously disinfected. The applied treatments were as follows: T1 one milk intake and T2 two milk intakes, both treatments received a total of 374 liters of pasteurized whole milk. The variables considered to evaluate development were: weight and height. The diseases recorded to monitor calves health were diarrhea, pneumonia and tachypnea. For cost, the price of milk and starter feed were considered. For health, the cost of treatments and the value of a dead animal were considered. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance and comparison of means was performed by a Tukey test. The value of P <0.05 was used to consider statistical difference. In relation to the results obtained for weight gain, there was no significant difference. Regarding the cost of feeding, the treatment with one intake of milk in suckling calves is economically 7.2% more expensive than feeding two intakes of milk.