Table 5 Effects of milk feeding level (medium vs. high) and milk feeding frequency (2 vs. 3) on rumen fermentation of dairy calves during days of 42, 70, and overall (n = 12 calves/treatment).

From: Effects of different milk feeding levels and frequencies on performance of Holstein heifers during weaning and first lactation

Item

Treatments

SEM

P-value

ML-2 × 

ML-3 × 

HL-2 × 

HL-3 × 

L

F

L*F

T

L*T

F*T

L*F*T

pH

d 42

5.24

5.85

5.91

5.78

0.21

0.20

0.31

0.12

    

d 70

5.43

5.50

5.62

5.63

0.20

0.48

0.88

0.81

    

Overall

5.34

5.68

5.77

5.70

0.15

0.16

0.38

0.21

0.32

0.57

0.45

0.29

Total VFA, mmol/L

d 42

95.9

94.3

81.0

80.7

8.49

0.11

0.90

0.94

    

d 70

104

99.8

102

105

3.47

0.56

0.84

0.36

    

Overall

99.9

97.1

91.8

92.9

4.85

0.23

0.86

0.69

 < 0.01

0.08

0.97

0.76

Individual VFA, mol/100 mol

Acetate

d 42

51.3

50.7

52.6

54.8

2.19

0.23

0.70

0.53

    

d 70

46.7

45.1

45.6

44.8

3.04

0.79

0.65

0.83

    

Overall

49.0

47.9

49.1

49.7

1.28

0.46

0.86

0.49

0.01

0.46

0.65

0.82

Propionate

d 42

36.1

36.1

36.7

30.9

2.29

0.32

0.22

0.22

    

d 70

40.6

38.9

38.1

40.4

1.57

0.76

0.84

0.22

    

Overall

38.3

37.5

37.4

35.7

1.20

0.26

0.30

0.70

0.01

0.55

0.32

0.13

Butyrate

d 42

8.07

8.35

7.14

8.68

0.67

0.66

0.20

0.36

    

d 70

8.03

11.0

12.5

10.8

1.79

0.23

0.72

0.21

    

Overall

8.09

9.66

9.84

9.76

1.21

0.42

0.30

0.56

 < 0.01

0.10

0.95

0.08

Valerate

d 42

4.02

3.97

2.79

4.64

0.53

0.59

0.12

0.09

    

d 70

3.81

4.46

3.05

3.17

0.77

0.21

0.62

0.74

    

Overall

3.93

4.21

2.92

3.91

0.51

0.22

0.24

0.50

0.57

0.40

0.57

0.16

Isovalerate

d 42

0.51

0.86

0.79

0.99

0.18

0.28

0.17

0.70

    

d 70

0.86

0.58

0.74

0.88

0.20

0.68

0.74

0.35

    

Overall

0.68

0.72

0.76

0.94

0.09

0.15

0.31

0.49

0.90

0.72

0.33

0.42

Acetate: propionate

d 42

1.45

1.43

1.48

1.80

0.15

0.21

0.34

0.29

    

d 70

1.16

1.18

1.20

1.12

0.10

0.94

0.76

0.63

    

Overall

1.30

1.30

1.34

1.46

0.06

0.13

0.34

0.34

 < 0.01

0.40

0.45

0.36

  1. 1Treatments including medium milk level- feeding 2 times (ML-2 ×), medium milk level- feeding 3 times (ML-3 ×), high milk level- feeding 2 times (HL-2 ×), and high milk level- feeding 3 times (HL-3 ×).
  2. 2Statistical comparisons: L = feeding level; F = feeding frequency, L × F = feeding level × feeding frequency, T = time, L × T = feeding level × time, F × T = feeding frequency × time, and L × F × T = feeding level × feeding frequency × time.
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