DOI: 10.5176/2382-5685_VETSCI13.29
Authors: Wegge Beatrice, De Maesschalck Celine, Van Immerseel Filip and Ducatelle Richard
Abstract:
The composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota of veal calves is poorly investigated and the impact of different milk diets with a variable effect on gut health is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine effects on the intestinal microbiota of 3 different milk diets. In this study three groups of ten 14-weeks-old Holstein calves were fed cow milk, standard milk replacer based on 50{6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465} skim milk protein or modified milk replacer containing 8{6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465} of non-antigenic soy and 50{6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465} whey protein during 12 days. The bacterial microbiota composition was investigated in colon content from all the animals using a battery of q-PCR reactions. There were no significant differences in the amount of bacteria from phylum Firmicutes and Bacteriodetes between the different milk diets. Calves on modified milk replacer, however, had significantly less Enterobacteriaceae and more Clostridial cluster IV bacteria in their colon, compared to calves on standard milk replacer. The repeatability and significance of these observations is currently unclear.
Keywords: microbiota, pre-ruminant calves, milk diets
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