Effect of rice pollard content of concentrate pellets on intake, liveweight gain and feed efficiency of pre-wean Holstein-Friesian calves.

Four concentrate pellets were formulated to contain Q, 43,70, and 95 7o DI\,I as rice pollard, and offered to forty Holstein-Friesian calves from d 3 until weaning at d 56. Daily gain of Holstein-Friesian calves was similar for the four pellets, being 0.89,0.92,0.79, and 0.82 kg/d (P>0.05), and live-weight at weaning averaged 65.4, 69.8.64"1 and 65.4 kg for the four (P>0.05) respectively. Pellet and hay intakes averaged 131 gld and 198 g/d respectively, and were highest for those calves given 7A Vo of rice pollard (P<0.01). Water intake was not different between treatment and averaged from 4 to 5.0 l/d. Our results indicate that pellets containing up Lo 95% rice pollard, and with a protein percentage 13.4 Vo, resulted in liveweight gains that were similar to those obtained with commercial pellets when fed to pre-weaning Holstein Friesian calves.