A Survey of Young Calves’ Feeding Situation in Rural Areas of Isfahan and Borkhar-Meymeh

Six hundred young calves, one month to three months old, were used in a completely randomized and nested design with two treatments and three replications. Treatments were: 1) Isfahan and 2) Borkhar-Meymeh. Replications were: 1) class of one to five cows 2) class of six to ten cows and 3) class of eleven to twenty cows. Paired t-test was used for comparison of nutrient consumption and requirement. Results of one-year-old experiment indicated that township and different classes had no effect on consumption of dry matter intake (whole milk and starter), net energy growth (NEg), crude protein (CP), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), sulphur (S), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iodine (I), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. Treatments (township) had no significant effect on the nutrient requirements of young calves. The daily difference between consumption and requirement for DMI (whole milk Kg/d), DMI (starter Kg/d), NEg Mcal/Kg, CP g/d, percentage of dry matter Ca, P, Mg, Cl, K, Na, S, mg/kg Co, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, IU/kg vitamins A, D and E were -0/15, -0/092, -0/165, -17/7, -0/09, 0/1, 0/08, 0/53, 0/64, 0, 0/01, -0/1, -7/2, -0/32, -36/9, -14/1, -0/12, 0/5, -4499, -515 and -40/8, respectively. The difference between consumption and requirement had no significant effect on P, Na, S and Zn. This difference had a significant effect on the rest of nutrients (p <0/05). The results of this study indicated that young calves had received low DMI (whole milk and starter), NEg, CP, Ca, Co, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, vit A, vit D and vit E. This shortage can be compensated by increasing DMI (whole milk and starter) protein supplements, vitamin and mineral supplements .