Carbohydrates in milk replacers for calves

The lack of appropriate intestinal enzymes apparently limits the use of other carbohydrates to replace glucose and lactose in milk replacers. The replacement of 20% lactose or glucose by wheat flour slightly reduced the digestibility of the organic constituents of the diet and a further slight reduction occurred when wheat flour was replaced by precooked maize starch. The relative digestibilities of these materials were: glucose, 100; lactose, 93.5; wheat flour, 71.5, and cooked maize starch, 62.5%. Addition of a mixture of amylases and maltase reduced the digestibility of a milk replacer containing cooked potato starch. Invertase addition immediately prior to feeding substantially improved the digestibility of a milk replacer containing 25% sucrose.