| Sumario: | A total of thirty male Holstein calves that had received colostrum were fed with limited amounts of milk for a five-week period. From the third week on, part of the milk was replaced by a calf starter diluted in water, and the same calf starter was also provided ad libitum in dry-powder form. The average daily weight gain during the first five-week period was 402 g, at the end of wich the same calves were distributed in six experimental groups. All of them were then exposed for 8 weeks to a feeding system based on rations with a protein content ranging from 17.8 to 25.1 per cent. Daily weight gains did not show significant differences among treatments.
The addition of increasing amounts of a filler, consisting of dry chopped corn plant tops, at the expense of protein in the rations, increased their fiber content as the protein in the formulations decreased. This exerted a beneficial effect on the incidence of bloating observed in the animals, wich was appreciably reduced.
It is concluded that calves reared on limited amounts of milk under the system described, allow an adequate development of animals fed rations containing 17.8 per cent protein.
According to the market prices of the ingredients at the time the study was carried out, the cost of the rations leads to the conclusion that the feeding system described can be economically applied to dairy calves.
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