JP2024058415A - Supplements for suckling calves and supplements for weaning calves to improve symptoms or conditions of calves - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a novel means useful for reducing symptoms likely to occur in calves during the suckling period, symptoms caused by weaning stress, and adverse effects on health. [Solution] Provided are a suckling calf supplement containing lysine for improving symptoms or conditions of calves during the suckling period, a weaning calf supplement containing bypassed lysine for improving symptoms or conditions of calves associated with weaning, and a calf supplement set combining these. According to the present invention, it is possible to improve or enhance the health of calves from the suckling to weaning periods. [Selected Figures] Figures 2-3

Description

The present invention relates to a supplement for suckling calves to improve symptoms or conditions of calves during the suckling period, a supplement for weaning calves to improve symptoms or conditions of calves following weaning, and a calf supplement set that combines these.

Excessive stress in livestock not only causes problems in terms of animal welfare, but also leads to reduced productivity and deterioration of the quality of livestock products. In the case of calves, they are forced to endure a variety of social and environmental stresses, such as separation from their mothers, weaning, changes in feed, and changes in rearing environment, which are known to cause health problems such as weight loss and weakened immunity. Physiological responses associated with weaning include an increase in plasma cortisol concentration (Non-Patent Document 1) and an increase in the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (N/L ratio) (Non-Patent Document 2).

On the other hand, various feed additives that have been processed to bypass the rumen (bypass processing) to prevent degradation by microorganisms in the rumen of ruminants are used (for example, Patent Document 1), and bypass-processed lysine (hereinafter sometimes referred to as bypass lysine) is also known (Patent Documents 2 to 4). Bypass lysine is used as a feed additive to replenish lysine, which is easily deficient in dairy cows, and improve lactation performance (Non-Patent Document 3). In addition, a product that uses a combination of lysine and methionine is known as a feed additive for cows that not only improves milk yield and milk protein production, but also improves reproductive performance and has an effect against fatty liver and ketosis (Non-Patent Document 4).

Regarding lysine and stress in animals, it is known, for example, that lysine deficiency in rats increases serotonin release in the amygdala, which increases anxiety symptoms caused by stress (Non-Patent Document 5), and that oral supplementation of lysine and arginine reduces anxiety symptoms in humans (Non-Patent Document 6).

For example, Non-Patent Document 7 reports on the feeding of lysine to calves during the suckling to weaning period, and describes how adding lysine to a starter (also called artificial milk or concentrated feed) with 18% crude protein and feeding calves 6.640 g of lysine per day significantly increased the daily weight gain before weaning compared to feeding a starter without lysine, but had no effect on the daily weight gain after weaning. Non-Patent Document 8 describes how, in order to investigate the effect of lysine and methionine supplementation on the nitrogen balance and blood free amino acids of calves after early weaning, a test was conducted in which lysine and methionine were administered in combination to weaned calves, and a test in which lysine was administered alone. Data on daily weight gain is also shown, but a significant weight gain-promoting effect was observed when lysine and methionine were used in combination, and no weight gain-promoting effect was observed when lysine was used alone.

JP 2020-145962 A Patent No. 3728738 Patent No. 5040919 International Publication No. 2019/189605

Lay et al. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 56 (1998), pp. 109-119 Hickey et al., J Anim Sci, 81: 2847-2855 (2003). Ajinomoto Healthy Supply Co., Ltd., “AjiPro(R)-L Lysine Preparation for Dairy Cows,” [Retrieved August 26, 2022], Internet <URL: https://www.ahs.ajinomoto.com/products/feed/feed_4.html> Bioscience Co., Ltd., "Bypass Supplement "Milk Liver Plus Lysine"", [Retrieved August 26, 2022], Internet <URL: https://www.bioscience.co.jp/products/livestock/%E3%83%9F%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AB%E3%83%B3-%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B8%E3%83%B3/> Smriga et al., The Journal of Nutrition, December 2002, Volume 132, Issue 12, Pages 3744-3746 Smriga et al., Biomedical Research, 2007, Volume 28, Issue 2, Pages 85-90 Niroumand et al., South African Journal of Animal Science 2020, 50 (No. 3), pp.442-451 Abe et al., Anim. Sci. Technol. (Jpn.) 67 (12): 1058-1067, 1996

The present invention aims to provide a novel means useful for reducing symptoms that tend to occur in calves during the nursing period, symptoms caused by weaning stress, and adverse effects on health.

As a result of intensive research, the inventors of the present application discovered that the above problems in calves from the suckling to weaning stages can be solved by supplementing calves with lysine during the suckling period and by supplementing calves with bypass lysine during the weaning period, and thus completed the present invention. In other words, the present invention relates to the use of lysine as a supplement for suckling calves to improve symptoms or conditions of calves during the suckling period, and the use of bypass lysine as a supplement for weaning calves to improve symptoms or conditions of calves following weaning, and includes the following aspects.

[1] A supplement for suckling calves for improving a symptom or condition of a suckling calf, comprising lysine, the supplement being used to supply the calf with 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day.
[2] The supplement described in [1], wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the improvement in weight gain and the improvement in roughage intake.
[3] A weaning calf supplement for improving a symptom or condition of a calf associated with weaning, comprising bypassed lysine, the weaning calf supplement being used to supply the calf with bypassed lysine in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g per day, calculated as lysine.
[4] The supplement described in [3], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased body weight gain, increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of treatment days.
[5] A calf supplement set comprising a calf supplement for suckling calves as described in [1] or [2] and a calf supplement for weaning calves as described in [3] or [4].
[6] Use of a suckling calf supplement containing lysine to improve a symptom or condition of a suckling calf by providing the suckling calf with 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day.
[7] The use described in [6], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased body weight gain and increased roughage intake.
[8] Use of a weaning calf supplement containing bypass-processed lysine to improve a weaning-related symptom or condition in a calf by supplementing the weaning calf with bypass-processed lysine in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g of lysine equivalent per day.
[9] The use described in [8], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased body weight gain, increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in N:L ratio, and reduced number of treatment days.
[10] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a suckling calf, comprising feeding the supplement described in [1] or [2] to the suckling calf.
[11] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a calf associated with weaning, comprising feeding the supplement described in [3] or [4] to the weaning calf.
[12] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a calf during the suckling period or following weaning, comprising feeding the calf the supplement described in [1] or [2] in an amount of 0.75 g to 6 g per day, calculated as lysine, during the suckling period, and feeding the calf the supplement described in [3] or [4] in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day, calculated as lysine, during the weaning period.

The invention of the present invention, which provides non-bypassed lysine, can reduce symptoms that tend to occur in calves during the suckling period, and improve or enhance the health of calves during the suckling period. The invention of providing bypass lysine can reduce symptoms and adverse effects on health caused by weaning stress, and improve or enhance the health of calves during the weaning period. Furthermore, by combining these, it is possible to improve or enhance the health of calves from the suckling to weaning periods.

The milk replacer feeding system for the calves used in the study. Body weight of the Lys group and the control group. Average daily weight gain in the Lys and control groups. Average daily gain by stage in the Lys and control groups. Artificial milk intake in the Lys and control groups. Total artificial milk intake by stage in the Lys and control groups. Roughage intake in the Lys and control groups. Total roughage intake by stage in the Lys and control groups. †: P<0.10, *: P<0.05 Feed efficiency in the Lys group and the control group. †: P<0.10, *: P<0.05 Feed efficiency by stage in the Lys group and the control group. †: P<0.10, *: P<0.05 Serum lysine concentration in the Lys group and the control group. *: P<0.05 Number of days of treatment by stage in the Lys group and the control group. †: P<0.10

In the present invention, the invention in which non-bypassed lysine is fed targets suckling calves, while the invention in which bypassed lysine is fed targets weaning calves. Both include calves of milk-producing breeds (dairy cows) such as Holstein and Jersey, and calves of meat-producing breeds (beef cattle) such as Japanese Black. The calves may be those that are separated from their mothers early after birth and ingestion of colostrum and are artificially fed with milk replacer (liquid feed) and artificial milk (solid feed, also called starter), or they may be naturally fed calves that are not separated from their mothers until weaning and are fed by breastfeeding from the mother cow, or they may be calves under feeding management in which the time that the mother and calf live together is limited or the number of times that they are fed by the mother cow is limited by means of a fence separating the mother and calf. The calves may be raised alone or in groups, and it does not matter whether an automatic feeding machine for milk replacer is used or not. In dairy farming, early separation of mother and calf from one another and artificial feeding is the norm, and artificial feeding management is also becoming more common in livestock farming.

The suckling period is the period during which liquid feed such as milk replacer or breast milk is given before weaning, and extends from 0 weeks of age until weaning. During this period, not only liquid feed but also artificial milk and roughage are given as solid feed. The weaning period is the period after weaning during which artificial milk and roughage are given, and generally extends from weaning to around 10 weeks after weaning. The weaning period is set appropriately for each farm depending on the feeding management method, but in artificial feeding management with early mother-calf separation, weaning is generally performed at 6 to 12 weeks of age. In natural feeding of beef cattle, weaning generally occurs at around 3 months of age.

The supplement for suckling calves according to the present invention for improving the symptoms or condition of suckling calves contains lysine and is used to supply 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day to suckling calves. The amount of lysine supplied by the supplement per day is not particularly limited as long as it is within the range of 0.75 g to 6 g, but may be, for example, 1 g to 6 g, 1.2 g to 6 g, 1.5 g to 6 g, 1.7 g to 6 g, 2 g to 6 g, 2.2 g to 6 g, 2.5 g to 6 g, 2.7 g to 6 g, 3 g to 6 g, 3.2 g to 6 g, or 3.5 g to 6 g. The upper limit of the supply amount may be 5.5 g or 5 g. During the supply period of the supplement for suckling calves, it is preferable to feed the supplement in the amount of lysine described above every day. The daily amount may be fed in multiple doses, but feeding it in one dose is simple and preferable.

Calves during the suckling period ingest lysine from feed, mainly from breast milk or milk replacer, and from artificial milk, but in the present invention, the above-mentioned amount of lysine is additionally supplied by a supplement. The daily lysine intake of a suckling calf, which is the sum of the lysine intake from feed and the lysine intake from the supplement for suckling calves of the present invention, varies depending on the lysine content of the breast milk or milk replacer or artificial milk given to the calf, so is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, about 10 g to 40 g, about 11 g to 40 g, or about 12 g to 40 g.

The improvement of the symptoms or condition of calves during the suckling period by a suckling calf supplement is, for example, at least one selected from the improvement of weight gain (e.g., daily weight gain or average daily weight gain) during the suckling period and the improvement of roughage intake.

The period during which the suckling calf supplement is fed to suckling calves may be at least from 3 weeks before weaning until weaning, for example, from 25 days before weaning until weaning, or from 4 weeks before weaning until weaning.

The suckling calf supplement contains lysine in a non-bypassed form and may consist essentially of lysine or may further contain additives that do not have a rumen bypass effect. In one embodiment, the suckling calf supplement is used without combination with either methionine or bypassed methionine.

Supplements for suckling calves may be added to feed such as milk replacer, or may be given orally without being added to feed, either directly or by dissolving in drinking water. The supplements can also be provided in the form of an addition to feed for suckling calves such as milk replacer.

The weaning calf supplement according to the present invention for improving the symptoms or condition of a calf associated with weaning contains bypassed lysine (bypassed lysine) and is used to supply a weaning calf with bypassed lysine in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day in terms of lysine. The amount of lysine supplied by the supplement per day is not particularly limited as long as it is within the range of 0.35 g to 4 g, but may be, for example, 0.5 g to 4 g, 0.7 g to 4 g, 1 g to 4 g, 1.2 g to 4 g, or 1.5 g to 4 g, and the upper limit may be 3.7 g, 3.5 g, 3.2 g, 3 g, 2.7 g, or 2.5 g. During the supply period of the weaning calf supplement, it is preferable to feed the calf daily in the above-mentioned amount in terms of lysine. The daily amount may be fed in multiple doses, but feeding it in one dose is simple and preferable.

After weaning, the rumen develops, but in the present invention, the purpose is to have the calf absorb lysine, not as a nutrient source for ruminal microorganisms, so bypass lysine is supplemented to weaned calves. The bypass process that bypasses the rumen is well known in this field. For example, bypass processing can be performed by spray coating or pan coating the raw material to be processed into the raw material used in bypass processing, such as hardened oil. Since bypass lysine is commercially available, the present invention can also be carried out using a commercially available product.

The period during which the weaning calf supplement is fed to weaning calves may be at least the period from weaning to two weeks after weaning, and may be, for example, the period from weaning to 18 days after weaning, or the period from weaning to three weeks after weaning.

The improvement of the symptoms or condition of calves due to weaning by a supplement for weaning calves is, for example, at least one selected from the following during the weaning period: increased weight gain, increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.

The weaning calf supplement contains bypassed lysine and may consist essentially of bypassed lysine alone, or may further contain additives that do not impair the rumen bypass effect. In one embodiment, the weaning calf supplement is used without combination with either methionine or bypassed methionine.

The supplement for weaning calves of the present invention may be added to feed such as artificial milk or roughage, or may be given orally without being added to feed, either directly or by dissolving in drinking water. The supplement can also be provided in a form added to feed for weaning calves such as artificial milk.

The supplement for suckling calves and the supplement for weaning calves of the present invention may be provided as a calf supplement by combining the two.

In the method for improving the symptoms or condition of a calf during the suckling period or associated with weaning according to the present invention, a calf is fed a suckling calf supplement in an amount of 0.75 g to 6 g per day, calculated as lysine, during the suckling period, and a weanling calf supplement in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day, calculated as lysine, during the weaning period. The improvement in the symptoms or condition of a calf during the suckling period or associated with weaning by the method is, for example, at least one selected from improved weight gain during the suckling period and weaning period, improved roughage intake during the suckling period and weaning period, improved gluconeogenesis during the weaning period, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppressed increases in the N:L ratio during the weaning period, and reduced number of days of treatment during the weaning period.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

Example: Effect of lysine supplementation on reducing weaning stress 1. Materials and methods
(a) Examination period: March 2021 to June 2021
(a) Test location: Kasama Dairy and Beef Cattle Laboratory, Nursing House
(c) Test animals: 20 4-week-old Holstein female calves (separated from their mothers within one hour of birth)
(e) Test division: The following two divisions were set up (n=10 for each division).
a. Control group: The control group was managed according to the farm's practice (milk replacer was fed as shown in Figure 1, and solid feed (artificial milk and roughage) was fed throughout the entire period). The test period was 6 weeks in total, with the suckling period being from 0 to 3 weeks (4 to 7 weeks of age) and the weaning period being from 4 to 6 weeks (8 to 10 weeks of age).
b. Lysine group: In addition to the control group, lysine (product name: L-lysine hydrochloride, manufactured by Xinjiang Meihua Amino Acid Co., Ltd., main component lysine (content rate: 98.5%)) was orally supplemented at 4 g/head/day (equivalent to 3.94 g/head/day of lysine) until the third week, and bypass lysine (product name: spray lysine, manufactured by Bioscreen Technologies Srl, main component lysine, content rate: 40%, bypass rate: 80%) was orally supplemented at 4 g/head/day (equivalent to 1.6 g/head/day of lysine) from the fourth week onwards. The feeding amounts of lysine and bypass lysine were preliminary examined and set at 4 g/head/day of the original for both, based on the amount at which the blood lysine concentration increased.
(E) Feeding and care: Feed was given twice a day and water was allowed ad libitum. Treatment, vaccinations, dehorning, and other care were carried out in accordance with the farm rules.

(F) Survey items:
a. Feed intake; daily
b. Weight; weekly
c. Biochemical tests: Blood was drawn at the same time as body weight was measured, and the serum after centrifugation was used to measure TP, Alb, AST, γ-GTP, BUN, Tcho, glucose (Glu), cortisol, white blood cell count, white blood cell differential, and free amino acid concentration.
(G) Statistical analysis: All data were subjected to two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with treatment and time as factors using model fitting in JMP Ver. 15. When significant differences (P<0.05) were found, Student t-test was performed. Average daily gain (ADG), feed intake, feed efficiency, white blood cell count, and white blood cell differential calculated based on body weight were divided into suckling, weaning, and all periods, and Student t-test was performed for the differences between each period.

2. Results and Discussion
(a) Weight (Fig. 2-1 to Fig. 2-3)
The body weight of the Lys group increased significantly or showed a tendency to increase from the 4th week of the experiment onwards compared to the control group. During the 3rd-4th and 5th-6th weeks of the experiment, the DG of the Lys group was higher than that of the control group, and even when divided by stage, the DG of the Lys group was higher than that of the control group at both the suckling and weaning stages. These data suggest that lysine supplementation of calves increases ADG during the suckling period.

(a) Feed intake (Fig. 3-1 to Fig. 3-4)
There was no difference in the amount of artificial milk intake between the groups, and the amount of artificial milk intake was not affected by lysine feeding (Figs. 3-1 and 3-2). Regarding roughage intake, lysine did not affect the change in roughage intake over time, but the Lys group tended to have a higher intake than the control group throughout the entire test period (Fig. 3-3). When examined by stage, the total roughage intake of the Lys group during the suckling, weaning, and entire test period was significantly higher or tended to increase compared with the total roughage intake of the control group (Fig. 3-4). These data suggest that lysine supplementation of calves improves roughage intake throughout the entire test period.

(c) Feed efficiency (Fig. 4-1, Fig. 4-2)
Feed efficiency in the Lys group was not different from that in the control group at 3 and 5 weeks after the start of the study, but was higher in the Lys group than in the control group at 4 and 6 weeks. When analyzed by stage, feed efficiency in the Lys group was higher than that of the control group during the lactation period and the entire study period. These results suggest that lysine supplementation improves feed efficiency in calves during the lactation period.

(d) Blood components (biochemical tests) (Table 1)
The Glu concentration in the Lys group was higher than that in the control group during weeks 2-6 of the study. This result suggests that lysine supplementation in calves promotes gluconeogenesis and increases serum Glu concentration.
Cortisol concentrations in the Lys group were lower than those in the control group during weeks 2, 6, and 7 of the study. Therefore, lysine supplementation may partially attenuate the increase in cortisol concentration caused by weaning stress.

(E) Blood components (white blood cell fraction) (Table 2-1, Table 2-2)
The N:L ratio in the Lys group was lower than that in the control group at 4-6 weeks of the study. Lysine supplementation may reduce the inflammatory response after weaning. On the other hand, when compared by stage, the Lys group showed higher white blood cell and lymphocyte counts at weaning and throughout the period, higher monocyte counts at suckling and throughout the period, lower eosinophil and neutrophil counts at weaning, and a lower N:L ratio at weaning, compared to the control group. The increase in white blood cell count in the Lys group is thought to be the result of an increase in lymphocyte count. It is known that weaning decreases the blood lymphocyte count, increases the neutrophil count, and increases the N:L ratio in calves (Hickey et al., J Anim Sci, 81: 2847-2855 (2003).), and it was suggested that lysine supplementation to calves reduces the decrease in blood lymphocyte count, increase in neutrophil count, and increase in N:L ratio due to weaning.

(f) Serum lysine concentration (Figure 5)
The serum lysine concentration in the Lys group was higher than that in the control group from the 4th to 6th weeks of the study. The serum lysine concentration decreased with a decrease in the amount of milk replacer consumed. No effect of lysine supplementation was observed during the milk replacer feeding period. It is likely that lysine supplementation from milk replacer is a greater source of lysine than lysine supplementation from additives, and therefore it is presumed that the amount of milk replacer fed has a greater effect on serum lysine concentration during the lactation period, masking the effect of lysine supplementation from additives.

The lysine content of the amino acid composition of the milk replacer used in this study was 2.35%, and since 0.4-0.8 kg of milk replacer was given per day, the suckling calves were ingesting 9.4-18.8 g/day of lysine from the milk replacer. The lysine content of the amino acid composition of the artificial milk used in this study was 1.07%, and the intake of artificial milk was 60-1,774 g/day during the suckling period and 849-1,900 g/day during the weaning period. In this study, the suckling calves were ingesting 0.642-18.985 g/day of lysine from artificial milk, and the weanling calves were ingesting 9.08-20.33 g/day of lysine from artificial milk. In this study, the amount of lysine ingested by the suckling calves from feed (milk replacer, artificial milk) was 12.70-30.16 g/day. At the time of weaning, the rumen has developed to a certain extent, and normal lysine is broken down in the rumen, so the increase in serum lysine concentration in weaned calves is thought to be due to bypass lysine orally ingested as an additive.

(G) Number of days of treatment (Figure 6)
The treatments given to the control group were bloody stools, diarrhea, fever, and coughing, listed in order of frequency. The treatment given to the Lys group was bloody stools only. There was no difference in the number of days of treatment during the suckling period. The number of days of treatment during the weaning period in the Lys group tended to be lower than in the control group. The number of days of treatment during the entire test period also tended to be lower in the Lys group.

3. Conclusions: Lysine supplementation improved calves' ADG throughout the entire period, their roughage intake, and their gluconeogenesis at weaning, and increased lymphocyte counts, decreased neutrophil counts, and decreased N:L ratios at weaning, and reduced the number of treatment days at weaning.

[ 1 ] Use of a suckling calf supplement containing lysine to improve a symptom or condition of a suckling calf by providing the suckling calf with 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day.
[ 2 ] The use according to [ 1 ], wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of increased body weight gain and increased roughage intake.
[3] The use according to [1] or [2], wherein the calf's daily lysine intake, which is the sum of the lysine intake from feed and the lysine intake from the supplement for suckling calves, is 10 g to 40 g.
[ 4 ] Use of a weaning calf supplement containing bypass-processed lysine to improve a weaning-related symptom or condition of a calf by supplementing the weaning calf with bypass-processed lysine in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day , calculated as lysine, wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of increased forage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.
[5] Use of a weaning calf supplement containing bypass-processed lysine to improve a weaning-related symptom or condition in a calf by supplementing the weaning calf with bypass-processed lysine in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g of lysine equivalent per day, without combining methionine or bypass-processed methionine.
[ 6 ] The use according to [5], wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of increased body weight gain, increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppressed increases in the N: L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.
[ 7 ] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a suckling calf, comprising feeding a suckling calf a lysine-containing supplement in an amount of 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day .
[8] The method described in [7], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased weight gain and increased roughage intake.
[9] The method described in [7] or [8], wherein the calf's daily lysine intake, which is the sum of the lysine intake from feed and the lysine intake from the suckling calf supplement, is 10 g to 40 g.
[ 10 ] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a weaning calf associated with weaning, comprising feeding a weaning calf a weaning calf supplement containing bypassed lysine in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g of lysine per day , wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.
[11] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a weaning calf, comprising feeding to a weaning calf a weaning calf a weaning calf supplement containing bypassed lysine, in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g of lysine per day, in combination with neither methionine nor bypassed methionine.
[12] The method described in [11], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from improved body weight gain, improved roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in N:L ratio, and reduced number of treatment days.
[ 13 ] A method for ameliorating a symptom or condition of a calf during suckling or following weaning, comprising feeding said suckling calf a suckling calf supplement containing lysine in an amount between 0.75 g and 6 g of lysine per day, and feeding said weanling calf a weanling calf supplement containing bypassed lysine in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g of lysine per day.
[14] The method described in [13], wherein the total lysine intake of the suckling calf from feed and the lysine intake from the suckling calf supplement is 10 g to 40 g per day.
[15] The method described in [13] or [14], wherein the improvement in the symptoms or condition of a calf associated with weaning is at least one selected from increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.
[16] The method of [13] or [14], wherein the weaning calf supplement is fed to the weaning calf in combination with neither methionine nor bypassed methionine.

[1] Use of lysine to improve a symptom or condition in a suckling calf by providing the calf with 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day as a supplement .
[2] The use described in [1], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased body weight gain and increased roughage intake.
[3] The use according to [1] or [2], wherein the amount of lysine supplemented is 2 g to 6 g per day .
[4] Use of bypass-processed lysine to improve a symptom or condition of a weaning calf associated with weaning by providing the weaned calf with a supplement in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day, calculated as lysine , wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.
[5] Use of a weaning calf supplement containing bypass-processed lysine to improve a weaning-related symptom or condition in a calf by supplementing the weaning calf with bypass-processed lysine in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g of lysine equivalent per day, without combining methionine or bypass-processed methionine.
[6] The use described in [5], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased body weight gain, increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in N:L ratio, and reduced number of treatment days.
[7] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a suckling calf, comprising feeding the suckling calf 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day as a supplement .
[8] The method described in [7], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from increased weight gain and increased roughage intake.
[9] The method according to [7] or [8], wherein the amount of lysine to be fed is 2 g to 6 g per day .
[10] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a weaning calf, comprising feeding bypassed lysine as a supplement to the weaning calf in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g of lysine per day, wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of increasing roughage intake, improving gluconeogenesis, reducing changes in white blood cell count and inhibiting increases in the N:L ratio, and reducing the number of days of treatment.
[11] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a weaning calf, comprising feeding to a weaning calf a weaning calf a weaning calf supplement containing bypassed lysine, in an amount between 0.35 g and 4 g of lysine per day, in combination with neither methionine nor bypassed methionine.
[12] The method described in [11], wherein the improvement of the symptoms or condition is at least one selected from improved body weight gain, improved roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in N:L ratio, and reduced number of treatment days.
[13] A method for improving a symptom or condition of a calf during the suckling period or following weaning, comprising: feeding the suckling calf a lysine supplement in an amount of 0.75 g to 6 g per day; and feeding the weaning calf a bypassed lysine supplement in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day, calculated as lysine.
[14] The method described in [13], wherein the amount of lysine fed to the calf during the suckling period is 2 g to 6 g per day .
[15] The method described in [13] or [14], wherein the improvement in the symptoms or condition of a calf associated with weaning is at least one selected from increased roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment.
[16] The method of [13] or [14], wherein lysine is fed to the weaned calf without combination with either methionine or bypassed methionine.

Claims (12)

A supplement for suckling calves containing lysine for improving symptoms or conditions of suckling calves, the supplement being used to supply the calf with 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day. The supplement according to claim 1, wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of an increase in body weight gain and an increase in roughage intake. A weaning calf supplement containing bypassed lysine for improving a symptom or condition of a calf associated with weaning, the supplement being used to supply the calf with 0.35 g to 4 g of bypassed lysine per day in terms of lysine. The supplement according to claim 3, wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of improved body weight gain, improved roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppressed increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment. A calf supplement set comprising a supplement for suckling calves as set forth in claim 1 or 2 and a supplement for weaning calves as set forth in claim 3 or 4. Use of a lysine-containing supplement for suckling calves to improve a symptom or condition of a suckling calf by providing the calf with 0.75 g to 6 g of lysine per day. The use according to claim 6, wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of an increase in body weight gain and an increase in roughage intake. Use of a weaning calf supplement containing bypass-processed lysine to improve a symptom or condition of a weaning calf associated with weaning by providing the weaning calf with 0.35 g to 4 g of bypass-processed lysine per day in terms of lysine. The use according to claim 8, wherein the improvement in the symptom or condition is at least one selected from the group consisting of improved body weight gain, improved roughage intake, improved gluconeogenesis, reduced changes in white blood cell count and suppression of increases in the N:L ratio, and reduced number of days of treatment. A method for improving a symptom or condition of a suckling calf, comprising feeding the supplement according to claim 1 or 2 to the suckling calf. A method for improving a symptom or condition of a calf associated with weaning, comprising feeding the supplement according to claim 3 or 4 to the calf during weaning. A method for improving a symptom or condition of a calf during the suckling period or following weaning, comprising feeding the calf the supplement according to claim 1 or 2 in an amount of 0.75 g to 6 g per day, calculated as lysine, during the suckling period, and feeding the calf the supplement according to claim 3 or 4 in an amount of 0.35 g to 4 g per day, calculated as lysine, during the weaning period.