Influence of different feeding systems of calves with milk feed on their growth performance

The aim of the work was to study the effect of different systems of feeding dairy feed on the developmental indicators of calves up to 6 months of age. The studies were carried out on two groups of calves. The difference was in the amount of dairy components of the diet fed. Calves (n = 12) of the control (first) group received dairy feed by the traditional method, 6 kg per day at the rate of 12-15 % of live weight at birth. Calves (n = 12) of the experimental (second) group received dairy feed by a stepwise method, 9 kg per day at the rate of 20-30 % of live weight at birth in the first phase of the milk period, and 6 kg per day at the rate of 12-15 % of live weight at birth in the second (pre-weaning) phase of the milk period. It was found that the average live weight at the age of 1, 3 and 6 months in the experimental group 42.1, 86.2 and 168.4 kg, which is more than in the control group was 5.5, 5.0 and 7.1 % respectively. High average daily gains in live weight by calves in the experimental group were established in the age periods of 0-1, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and 5-6 months, which exceeded the animals of the control group was 19.4, 14.3, 1, 3, 6.8 and 20.7 % respectively.