Economic evaluation of liquid diets based on cheese whey in natura for calves

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the productive performance and conduct economic analysis of the effect of replacing whole milk cheese whey in natura, added to fresh whole egg and biotin in calf milk replacer. Twenty-four crossbred calves were used and distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replications: 100% whole milk, 50% whole milk + 50% of cheese whey in natura, 50% whole milk + 50% of cheese whey in natura + one whole egg in natura, 50% whole milk + 50% of cheese whey in natura + one whole egg in natura + biotin. The assessment of economic performance indicators consisted of calculating costs and revenues based with spent on feed and the carcass yield of animals. Compared to the control treatment, the treatment with 50% whole milk + 50% cheese whey in natura provided greater additional profit, showing that replacement of whole milk for cheese whey did not impair the performance of animals and even allowed a liquid diet more advantageous from an economic standpoint. The whole egg and biotin did not have productive advantages that justify its use in the diet of crossbred calves.