Theses and Dissertations Collection

Out of 755 calves, 480 calves (60±3 d old) from the high and the low quartile level of feed intake in the last three weeks in hutches, were chosen for the treatments (4-repetitions; 6-treatments). The treatments were 20-control (CTRL), 20-high-high (HH), 20-low-low (LL), 10-low-10-high (HL), 15-high-5-low (HHL), and 5-high-15-low (HLL). Calves were fed 95% grain and 5% alfalfa hay (TMR) and recorded 2-days a week for 4-weeks. Pen was the experimental unit. Data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model. Average DMI after grouping was greatest in HH (2.24 kg/d) and HHL (2.15 kg/d) followed by HL (2.07 kg/d), Control (2.06 kg/d), LLH (1.92 kg/d) and LL (1.77 kg/d). Similarly, ADG was greatest in HH (690 g/d) and HHL (674 g/d) than in HL (585 g/d), LLH (571 g/d), Control (545 g/d), and LL (526 g/d). Grouping calves according to pre-weaning intake improves feed efficiency (FE) and feed management. Low eater calves improved the overall visits to the feed bunk when grouped with high eater calves.