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dc.contributor.authorMcDonnell, Ruairi P*
dc.contributor.authorO'Doherty, John V.*
dc.contributor.authorEarley, Bernadette*
dc.contributor.authorClarke, Anne Marie*
dc.contributor.authorKenny, David A.*
dc.date.accessioned2019-06-11T15:53:21Z
dc.date.available2019-06-11T15:53:21Z
dc.date.issued2019-01-29
dc.identifier.citationMcDonnell RP, O’ Doherty JV, Earley B, Clarke AM, Kenny DA. Effect of supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and/or β-glucans on performance, feeding behaviour and immune status of Holstein Friesian bull calves during the pre- and post-weaning periods. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 2019;10(1):7; doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40104-019-0317-x.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11019/1664
dc.descriptionpeer-revieweden_US
dc.description.abstractBackground Previous research in both calves and other species has suggested n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and β-glucans may have positive effects on immune function. This experiment measured performance, behaviour, metabolite and immunological responses to pre-weaning supplementation of dairy bull calves with n-3 PUFA in the form of fish oil and β-glucans derived from seaweed extract. 44 Holstein Friesian bull calves, aged 13.7 ± 2.5 d and weighing 48.0 ± 5.8 kg were artificially reared using an electronic feeding system. Each calf was offered 5 L (120 g/L) per day of milk replacer (MR) and assigned to one of four treatments included in the MR, (1) Control (CON); (2) 40 g n-3 PUFA per day (FO); (3) 1 g β-glucans per day (GL) and (4) 40 g n-3 PUFA per day & 1 g/d β-glucans (FOGL) in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Milk replacer and concentrate was offered from d 0–62 (pre-weaning), while concentrate provision continued for a further 31 d post-weaning period. Individual daily feed intake and feeding behaviour was recorded throughout, while bodyweight and blood analyte data were collected at regular intervals. Results Overall mean concentrate DMI from d 0–93 was 1.39, 1.27, 1.00 and 0.72 kg/d for CON, FO, GL and FOGL calves, respectively (SEM = 0.037; P < 0.0001). Calves supplemented with GL were significantly lighter (P < 0.0001) at both weaning (d 62) and turnout to pasture (d 93) than un-supplemented calves, with a similar effect (P < 0.0001) evident for calves receiving FO compared to un-supplemented contemporaries. Supplementation with GL reduced the number of unrewarded visits where milk was not consumed (P < 0.0001) while supplementation with FO increased mean drinking speed (P < 0.0001). Supplementation with GL resulted in greater concentrations of haptoglobin (P = 0.034), greater serum osmolality (P = 0.021) and lower lymphocyte levels (P = 0.027). In addition, cells from GL supplemented calves exhibited a lower response than un-supplemented contemporaries to both Phytohaemagglutinin A stimulated IFN-γ (P = 0.019) and Concanavalin A stimulated IFN-γ (P = 0.012) following in vitro challenges. Conclusions Pre-weaning supplementation of bull calves with either n-3 PUFA or β-glucan resulted in reduced voluntary feed intake of concentrate and consequently poorer pre-weaning calf performance. There was no evidence for any beneficial effect of either supplementation strategy on calves’ immune responses.en_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherBiomed Centralen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesJournal of Animal Science and Biotechnology;vol 10
dc.titleEffect of supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and/or β-glucans on performance, feeding behaviour and immune status of Holstein Friesian bull calves during the pre- and post-weaning periodsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.date.updated2019-02-03T04:18:11Z
dc.language.rfc3066en
dc.rights.holderThe Author(s).
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-019-0317-x
dc.contributor.sponsorDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marineen_US
dc.contributor.sponsorScience Foundation Irelanden_US
dc.contributor.sponsorGrantNumber14/IA/2548en_US
refterms.dateFOA2019-06-11T15:53:22Z


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