The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of acidifiers to milk, milk replacer or post-weaning concentrate on the performance and health status of weaning and post-weaning calves. Three experiments were carried out, in the first experiment 62 Holstein × Zebu crossbred calves (males and females), reared from birth to 60 days of age, were distributed and fed milk with or without acidifier. From the third day, the calves were suckled (5L of milk/d) for 56 days, split into two meals. The acidifier was added to milk at the time of feeding. From the second week of calf's age a starter diet (18% of CP) was also offer. In second experiment, the same animals from first experiment, but from 61 to 120 days of age were distributed and fed (2 kg/d) post-weaning concentrate (18% of CP) with or without acidifier and Cynodon dactylon hay ad libitum. In third experiment, 16 male Holstein × Zebu crossbred calves, reared from birth to 60 days of age, were distributed and fed milk replacer with or without acidifier. The acidifier used in the first and third experiments was composed by the citric, lactic, fumaric, and phosphoric acids, and vitamin C (liquid diet); and by betaglucans, flavonoides, linoleic and oleic and citric acids, and vitamin C (solid diet). The addition of acidifier to milk or to post-weaning concentrate did not affect the dry matter (DM) and CP intakes, which were 818 and 196; 1740 and 217 g/d respectively. Similarly, it did not show high average daily gains, with 525 and 513 g/d, respectively. The addition of acidifiers to milk replacer showed results similar to those observed in calves fed milk. Therefore, the use of acidifiers in milk, milk replacer or in the post-weaning concentrate did not result in beneficial effects for calves.
additive; average daily gain; nursing phase
