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Table 4 The effect of different methods of eubiotic feed additive provision on biochemical blood indices in dairy calves

From: Different methods of eubiotic feed additive provision affect the health, performance, fermentation, and metabolic status of dairy calves during the preweaning period

Item

Treatment1

SEM

P-values

CON

MR

SF

MRS

Treatment

Period

Treatment x Period

Insulin-like growth factor-I (ng/mL)

 Period 3—28 days

43.9

44.1

38.8

42.4

2.65

0.25

 < 0.001

0.45

 Period 29—56 days

37.7b

53.4a

39.2b

39.3b

2.21

0.028

 < 0.001

0.56

Overall 3—56 days

41.4b

51.0a

38.4b

41.2b

2.88

0.022

 < 0.001

0.59

β-hydroxybutyrate (mmol/L)

 Period 3—28 days

0.40

0.39

0.39

0.40

0.01

0.25

 < 0.001

0.22

 Period 29—56 days

0.51b

0.62a

0.50b

0.53b

0.01

0.033

 < 0.001

0.23

 Overall 3—56 days

0.45b

0.53a

0.45b

0.45b

0.01

0.028

 < 0.001

0.25

Non-esterified fatty acids (mmol/L)

 Period 3—28 days

0.28

0.35

0.36

0.31

0.01

0.59

 < 0.001

0.82

 Period 29—56 days

0.30

0.31

0.38

0.30

0.01

0.60

 < 0.001

0.62

 Overall 3—56 days

0.29

0.33

0.37

0.31

0.01

0.59

 < 0.001

0.51

Blood urea nitrogen (mg/dL)

 Period 3—28 days

8.43

8.43

8.30

8.20

0.22

0.63

 < 0.001

0.28

 Period 29—56 days

9.99

11.3

11.2

11.2

0.23

0.63

 < 0.001

0.32

 Overall 3—56 days

9.05

9.56

9.46

9.56

0.28

0.49

 < 0.001

0.42

  1. 1Treatment CON (control: without eubiotic feed additive in their milk replacer or their starter feed: n = 11), MR (eubiotic feed additive added to their milk replacer: n = 11), SF (eubiotic feed additive added to their starter feed: n = 11), MRS (eubiotic feed additive added to their milk replacer and their starter feed: n = 11), a–b Means within a column with different superscripts differ (P ≤ 0.05)