The effect of Bioherbal on performance, digestibility, blood parameters and in vitro gas production of diet in Holstein fattening calves

About 65 to 70 percent of total cost of livestock breeding is related to nutritional issues. Sometimes antibiotics are used as feed additives to prevent the growth of intestinal pathogens, reduce metabolic abnormalities, stimulating growth and improving feed conversion efficiency in farm animals. The creation of resistance in pathogens and the possibility of antibiotics remaining in products are the main disadvantages of antibiotics usage in livestock and poultry nutrition as a growth stimulator. The tendency to use secondary plant metabolites has increased as a way to improve livestock and poultry performance. This study was carried out to determine the effect of using Bioherbal plant powder on digestibility, blood parameters and gas production parameters in Holstein fattening calves.

Ten male Holstein fattening bull-claves with average weight of 310±30 Kg divided into two groups and randomly were allocated to one of the experimental treatments. Animal on Bioherbal group are received basal diet plus 20g of Bioherbal per day. Daily rations were offered to calves during three meals adlibitum rations. Calves were weighed every two weeks before the morning feeding. At the end of each experimental period, fecal sample was collected from each calf through a rectum and stored in a freezer. At the last day of each period, the blood sample was taken from the jugular vein and the plasma isolated and kept in the freezer for further analysis. At the end of the experiment, the feed or fecal samples were dried in an oven at 60 ° C for 48 hours, and milled for further analysis for chemical composition and nutrients digestibility. Statistical analysis for data were done with the proc mixed of SAS software.

The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent insoluble fiber (NDF) and acid detergent insoluble fibers (ADF) was greater in Bioherbal group when compared with control group (P<0.01). Daily weight gain was numerically higher in the Bioherbal group (1.78 Kg) than the control group (1.35 Kg), but no significant difference was observed (P=0.06). Feed intake in the Bioherbal group (11.54 Kg) was significantly higher than the control group (10.81 Kg) (P <0.05). Conversion coefficient in Bioherbal group (6.50) was lower than control group (8.02) (P<0.05). Blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol concentration didn’t show any meaningful variance between groups (p>0.05). There was a significant difference between control and Bioherbal treatment in terms of gas production (P <0.01). The highest amount of gas production was related to Bioherbal treatment and the lowest amount was related to control ones.

The results of this study indicate that the Bioherbal plant supplement improves the digestibility of nutrients, dry matter intake, feed conversion and weight gain of Holstein fattening calves.