ORIGINAL PAPER
 
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ABSTRACT
The study evaluated the effects of supplying whole milk at three different rates (15, 20 and 25% according to live weight at birth) in the diet of Jersey calves during the first 60 days after calving. Twenty-four animals (12 females and 12 males), with an average birth weight of 26.17 ± 2.94 kg, were randomly assigned to treatments consisting of four males and four females per group. Weekly assessments included body weight measurement, estimations of milk and concentrate intake, and measurements of morphometric parameters, including croup height, croup width, chest circumference, and height at withers. After 60 days, only males were slaughtered to evaluate the development and volume of gastric compartments and histological development. The Gompertz unipartite model with discrete latency was used to measure the growth curve behaviour over the 60-day evaluation period. Preliminary data visualization involved examining the spatial distribution on a Cartesian plane. Both lactation feeding level and sex of the calves influenced dry matter intake, with higher consumption and earlier onset observed in the treatment with lower milk amounts. The amount of milk also affected weight at the end of the lactation period and croup height, although male rumen development was not influenced by the rates of milk supplied.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
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