EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PHYSICAL FORMS OF STARTER ON FEED INTAKE AND PERFORMANCE OF CALVES

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different types of starter on starter intake and growth performance of calves in the period of milk nutrition. The experiment was performed with Czech Fleckvieh calves (n = 28). Calves were housed in outdoor individual boxes. The calves were fed by colostrum (for the first 5 days of life) or milk feed mixture (from the 6th day of live) and starter. For the experiment the calves were divided into 4 groups (fed various types of starter: A - pelleted starter with 20% of oats; B - completely pelleted starter, C - textured starter, D - starter with chopped straw) per 7 calves. The mean age of calves in group was balanced (reached in all groups an average of 13 days) at the start of experiment. The experiment lasted for 32 days. The mean intakes of individual types of starters were relatively balanced (differences between groups are statistically insignificant, P > 0.05). The average daily gain of calves in individual groups for the period was statistically insignificant too (the range is from 0.59 to 0.69 kg/head/day). Based on the evaluated parameters we can conclude that the type (physical form) of starter fundamentally not affects the palatability or attractiveness of starter for calves during milk nutrition.