Voluntary selection of starter feed ingredients offered separately to nursing calves

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate whether calves exposed to different ingredients would consume solid feed in a similar manner than those offered the same ingredients mixed in a starter concentrate. Thirty-eight Holstein calves (initial live weight 41.0 kg and 7 days of age) were randomly assigned to a control (CTR) treatment consisting of a starter feed composed of ground corn (47.2%), soybean meal (20%), oats meal (11%), barley meal (10.1%), soybean hulls (8%), and full fat soybean (1.2%), or to a choice (CH) treatment consisting of 6 ingredients, that composed the starter of CTR calves, offered in separated buckets to each animal. Intake was recorded daily, and calves were weighed twice a week. Samples of fresh feed were taken every week and pooled for subsequent determination of nutrient composition. No differences were observed between treatments on total dry matter intake (DMI), solid feed intake, average daily gain (ADG), and gain to feed ratio. However, animals in the CH group consumed more crude protein (CP; P P P P P P P P