Rumen inoculation of dairy calves, its relation to feeding of roughage and growth of calves

The object of this study is to determine the value of rumen inoculation in the digestion of roughage by the young calf and the effect of rumen inoculation on the growth of calves from birth to six months of age.

It has been postulated that starting the young calf's rumen to functioning as early as possible would increase the efficiency of roughage utilization, as well as providing other beneficial factors resulting from proper rumen fermentation. In the normal, mature cow, rumen fermentation provides most of the B complex vitamins used by the cow and aids in the digestion of cellulose and other complex foods.

It may be that consumption of roughage would lower the amount of concentrates consumed (due to a small rumen capacity) at a time when the calf needs a high TDN intake for maintenance and growth.

While rumen organisms are primarily associated with roughage consumption, they may possibly play a part in the digestion of concentrates or may provide benefits in some other manner.

Groups of calves have been included to test the value of each of the above assumptions.