The effects of adding organic acid, vegetable extract and prebiotic mixture on performance, feces and blood parameters in holstein friesian calf during the milk absorbtion period

This study was carried out to determine the effects of commercial additive addition containing organic acid, herbal extract and prebiotic mixture to whole milk on the growth performance, some stool and blood parameters of Holstein calves during sucking period. In the study, a total of 40 calves were divided into two groups, with 10 males and 10 females in each group. Calves were kept with their mothers for 3 hours following their birth, then they were placed in individual chambers and fed with 5 liters of colostrum (colostrum) daily for three days. From the fourth day, the first group was fed with whole milk (control), while the calves in the second group were fed with milk with 5 g of commercial additive (TK) added per 1 liter of whole milk. Calves were given starter feed and water ad libitum throughout the trial. In calves fed with commercial additive supplement, concentrate feed consumption, feed conversion rate, body weight gains and blood parameters such as white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), phosphorus, gamma-glutamyl transferase (G-GT), glucose, calcium, creatinine, cholesterol and triglyceride values were not affected. In addition, the addition of commercial additive substance to full-fat milk positively affected the body weights of calves only in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks, but not the stool scores and diarrhea parameters. In conclusion, the addition of commercial additive to full-fat milk was found to be positive only in the first 4 weeks of the neonatal period, which is critical for calves, while its effect was insignificant in the following weeks. In addition, it has been concluded that, under the current operating conditions, feeding calves together with whole milk as a food supplement does not contribute to reducing the great economic losses caused by deaths due to diarrhea.