|
The research was conducted at the Homs cattle station in the Al-Mukhtaria area of the General Establishment for cow barns in the year 2022-2023 with the aim of studying and comparing the effect of adding both sprouted barley and alfalfa hay to the diets of fattening calves of the Holstein Friesian breed from the period after weaning at the age of (4 months) to the age of (11 months) in some productivity indicators. (12) Holstein Friesian calves were used. These calves were weighed after birth and distributed into three groups that similar in weights so that there was no significant difference in the average weights (P>0.05). After a suckling period lasting for (4 weeks), the calves were weighed at the end of the weaning stage at the age of (4 months) and their average weight reached (92) kg. Grass hay was provided to the first group (the control), and dried cultured barley and alfalfa hay were provided to the first and second experimental groups, respectively, as a filler fodder. The groups were separated from each other and the filling and concentrated feed was provided according to the food standards. The remainder of it was collected and weighed at the end of each day to calculate the amount of feed actually eaten in order to easily calculate the feed conversion factor. The concentrated feed mixture was uniform for the three groups, and its quantities differed between the groups depending on the composition of the filling feed provided. With it in terms of its protein and energy content, so that it covers the nutritional needs of the calves, and when the calves were taken to the theaters, the feeders were emptied of their feed contents, and the calves were weighed every 15 days until the end of the experiment. The results showed that the calves of the third group (alfalfa hay) were superior, with significant differences (P<0.05), to the rest of the calves of the studied groups (the control group and the sprouted barley group) in terms of live weight, and achieved a higher weight gain with significant differences throughout the experiment period. In terms of feed consumption, it was found that the control group's calves consumed more feed than the rest of the other calves at most age periods (P<0.05), which indicates a lower feed conversion efficiency for hay compared to sprouted barley and alfalfa hay. When studying the economic efficiency, it was found that the alfalfa hay group achieved the highest profit index, which is about (72.58%), compared to (39.17%) and (53.94%) for the hay and sprouted barley groups, respectively.
|
