The effect of vitamin E, selenium, and copper supplementation preweaning on the performance and immune response of beef calves
C. Wright, L. Corah, G. Stokka
1997
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Journal
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports
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Semantic Scholar
Key Takeaway Key Takeaway: Vitamin E supplementation reduces plasma haptoglobin levels and tends to improve postweaning gain in crossbred beef calves, but has no other significant effect on performance or immune parameters.
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of vitamin E, selenium, and copper supplementation on the preand postweaning performance, immune responses, and serum metabolites o f crossbred beef calves. In experiment 1, 71 calves were blocked by weight and allotted to one of four individually fed treatments: 1) control supplement (2 lb grain creep ) (CS), 2) CS + .27 mg selenium + 500 IU vitamin E, 3) CS + 9.1 mg copper, and 4) combination of treatments 2 and 3. In experiment 2, 80 crossbred beef calves were blocked by weight and allotted to 5 individually fed treatments: 1) control supplement (2 lb grain creep) (CS), 2) CS + .27 mg selenium, 3) CS + .27 mg selenium + 500 IU vitamin E, 4) CS + .27 mg selenium + 1000 IU vitamin E, and 5) CS + .27mg selenium + 1500 IU vitamin E. Supplements were fed daily on an individual basis. In experiment 1, vitamin E supplementation reduced plasma haptoglobin levels by the end of the study and tended (P=.11) to improve postweaning gain. However, no other effect was noted on calf performance or immune parameters in either experiment.