Effect of Replace Soybean Meal with Fermented Soybean Meal on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Serum Urea Nitrogen Concentration and Diarrhea Incidence of Sucking Calves

This experiment as a 2 (soybean or fermented soybean) x 2 (drinking 6L or 4L milk every day ) multifactor experimental design was carried out at Jilin Agricultural University, China to study the effects of soybean meal (SBM) fermented with Bacillus subtilis, on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood urea nitrogen and diarrhea incidence in sucking Holstein calves. A total of 20 newborn Holstein calves (BW: 45.7±5.5 kg) were randomly allotted into four groups for 45 days, every group has five calves. Four experimental groups were: 6SBM= drink 6L milk daily and feed soybean meal; 6FSBM = drink 6L milk daily and feed fermented soybean meal; 4SBM = drink 4L milk daily and feed soybean meal; 4FSBM=drink 4L milk and feed fermented soybean meal. Results indicated that fermented soybean meal (FSBM) could improve average daily weight gain (ADG), feed efficiency, crude protein (CP) digestibility and crude fat (EE) digestibility compare with non fermented soybean meal (P<0.05). Calves fed with FSBM had significant lower urea nitrogen concentration in serum than SBM diet. Diarrhea score was lower ((P< 0.05) in calves fed FSBM than SBM diet. In conclusion, soybean meal can be replaced by fermented soybean meal on improving growth performance, nutrient retention and for reducing diarrhea incidence in calves