Abstract

The current study sets out to assess how dietary Nucleotide prebiotic and Lactobacillus probiotic affected the preweaning buffalo calves' growth performance (weight at different weeks of age, body weight gain & average daily gain), hematological parameters (RBCs, WBCs & hemoglobin) certain fecal microbiota (Lactobacillus & Clostridium spp.), and ultimately profitability (total return, net profit & benefit cost ratio). Thirty-six apparently healthy buffalo calves (at birth) were divided into three dietary treatments: control group (C) (fed milk + basal diet), Prebiotic group (NU) (fed milk + basal diet with prebiotics (nucleotide mixture), and probiotic group (LAC) (fed milk + basal diet with probiotics (lactobacillus mixture). The results revealed a significant increase in body weight, body weight gain, and average daily gain in Nucleotide prebiotic and Lactobacillus probiotic supplemented pre-weaned calf groups than control one, along experimental period. The surpasses of Nucleotide prebiotic and Lactobacillus probiotic supplemented in weaning weight by 14.68 & 12.43 kg, respectively over that of control group consequently improving total return and net profit (by 18.84 & 159.74 %, respectively for nucleotide prebiotic group) and (17.08 & 139.48, respectively for probiotic group) than control group. These supplements also significantly improved calves’ blood hematological parameters than those fed only basal diet. Accordingly, we can conclude that supplementation of Nucleotide prebiotics or Lactobacillus probiotics to the calves' diet during pre-weaning stage had significantly improved growth and performance, consequently, improving economic efficiency by increasing total return and profit as well as benefit cost ratio.

Key words: ABuffalo calves, growth, economic, lactobacillus; nucleotide and pre-weaning