Effects of Feeding Different Carbohydrate Sources and Amounts to Young Calves

Corn, oats, molasses, and soyhulls are commonly used carbohydrate sources in calf starters. A total of 180 calves were used in 4 studies to compare the use of these ingredients in calf starters. Study 1 compared textured starters with different amounts of molasses or sucrose. The control starter contained 5% molasses (A). The test starters contained greater concentrations of dietary sugar than starter A as either 10% molasses (B) or 5% molasses plus 1.5% granular sucrose (C). Starters B and C were equal in dietary sugar. Study 2 evaluated textured starters containing 0 or 25% whole oats for calves up to approximately 12 wk old. Study 3 evaluated pelleted starters containing 0 or 62.75% soyhulls for calves up to approximately 8 wk old. Study 4 evaluated textured starters containing 0, 14, 28, and 42% soyhulls for calves between approximately 8 and 12 wk old. Calves were housed in individual pens in an unheated nursery with curtain sides through 8 wk and then in group pens of 6 calves/pen from 8 to 12 wk. Calves were bedded with straw. In study 1, calves fed the starters with extra molasses or sucrose had an average of 9% slower average daily gain (ADG) and greater average fecal scores from 42 to 56 d and 9% slower ADG from 0 to 56 d than calves fed the textured starter with low molasses. In study 2, ADG and feed efficiency (kg of feed/kg of gain) were 22 and 20% less, respectively, in calves fed the starter without oats from 0 to 28 d, but there were no differences thereafter. In study 3, calves fed starters with soyhulls had a 10% slower ADG and 8% lower efficiency of gain from 28 to 56 d than calves fed the starters without soyhulls. In study 4, ADG declined linearly as soyhulls increased in the starter. The change in ADG was 14% from 0 to 42% soyhulls. Replacing corn in a starter with molasses, sucrose, or soyhulls reduced postweaning ADG and increased the cost of ADG. Whole oats were an acceptable substitute for corn.