| This present study investigated the effects of milk-replacer on the growth performance and diarrhea frequency in donkey foals.Each 10 of individuals which were selected from 2,3,4,and 5-month-old,body weight,parity,and well-being donkey foals respectively,and randomly assigned to control group and experimental group with 5 donkey foals per group.The control group was breast-fed by their mothers and the experimental group was fed by milk-replacing powder developed by the Feed Research Institute of Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.The test was lasting 30 days.Body of donkeys were respectively weighed and measured at 0,10,20,and 30 days before feeding.Meanwhile,the degree of diarrhea and average daily gain(ADG)were determined.1.Effect of feeding milk-replacing powder on body weight(BW)for donkeys.The result showed that the BW in experimental group at 2-and 3-month-old were reached 0.37 kg and 0.61 kg respectively,and the BW in control group were 0.18 kg and 0.20 kg.The BW in experimental group at 4-and 5-month-old were reached 0.49 kg and 0.56 kg respectively and that in the control group were reached 0.21 kg and 0.19 kg.The ADG in experimental group at each month of age were significantly higher than that in the control group,and ADG at 2-and 3-month-old donkeys were reached the standard ADG at 4-month-old.There was a significant difference in mean body weight between the two groups of 0-10,10-20,and 20-30 days at 2-month-old donkey(P<0.01).There was a difference between the two groups of 10-20 days at 5-month-old donkeys(P<0.05)and a significant difference between the two groups of 20-30 days(P<0.01).There was no difference between the other groups(P>0.05).2.Effect of feeding milk-replacing powder on body sizes for donkeys.In this study,the chest circumference in 10-20 and 20-30 days groups were significantly higher that in the control groups at 2-month-old donkeys(P<0.01)and the body length was more higher in 20-30 days group(P<0.05).At 3-month-old donkeys,the chest circumference was a significant difference(P<0.01)and the body length was significantly higher(P<0.05)in 0-10,10-20,and 20-30 days groups.At 4-month-old donkeys,the body length was significantly higher(P<0.05)in 0-10,10-20,and 20-30 days groups.At 5-month-old donkeys,the body height was more higher(P<0.05)in 0-10,10-20,and 20-30 days groups and its chest circumference was more higher(P<0.05)in 10-20 and 20-30 days groups and its body length was more higher in 20-30 days group(P<0.05).3.Effect of feeding milk-replacing powder on feed intake for donkeys.Feed intake in experimental groups at 2-and 3-month-old were higher than that in control groups(P<0.05),and the ratio of feed and weight was lower than that in control group,but the difference was not significant(P>0.05);Feed intake in experimental groups at the age of 4-and 5-month were higher than that in control groups,but the difference was not significant(P>0.05);the ratio of feed and weight was lower than that in control groups(P<0.05).Feeding milk-replacing powder can increase the feed intake and reduce the ratio of feed and weight in donkey.4.The diarrhea frequency at 3-and 5-month-old donkey were reduced by 10 and 60,respectively,comparing with the control group.The fecal score showed an escalating trend following the age of donkey.Apart from 5-month-old control group,fecal scores were all within the normal range.5.The results indicated that the milk-replacing powder can replace the donkey milk to feed the donkey foals and perform earlier weaning.After the donkey was fed by the milk-replacing powder for 30 days,they can be completely weaned and the growth was well. |
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