Investigation of Methods to Enhance the Efficiency of Canola Meal Use in Pelleted Calf Starter Mixtures and Comparisons with Other High-Protein by-Products*

Paweł Górka; Klaudia Krupa; Marcin Podżorski; Marcin Przybyło; Jarosław Kański; Zygmunt M. Kowalski; Adam Stępień; Katarzyna Burakowska; Gregory B. Penner; Anna Rogiewicz; Rob Patterson

doi:10.2478/aoas-2025-0074

Investigation of Methods to Enhance the Efficiency of Canola Meal Use in Pelleted Calf Starter Mixtures and Comparisons with Other High-Protein by-Products*

Volume 26 (2026): Issue 2 (April 2026)

By: Paweł Górka, Klaudia Krupa, Marcin Podżorski, Marcin Przybyło, Jarosław Kański, Zygmunt M. Kowalski, Adam Stępień, Katarzyna Burakowska, Gregory B. Penner, Anna Rogiewicz and Rob Patterson

Open Access

|Apr 2026

Figures & Tables

Table 1.

Ingredient and chemical composition of pelleted starter mixtures (mean±standard deviation) – study 1

TSBM	TCM	TCML
1	2	3	4
Ingredient, % in feed
soybean meal	18.00	–	–
canola meal	–	26.00	26.00
barley	32.67	25.47	25.31
corn	30.00	30.00	30.00
wheat bran	10.00	10.00	10.00
glycerin	3.00	3.00	3.00
molasses	1.00	1.00	1.00
whey	1.00	1.00	1.00
limestone	2.00	2.00	2.00
salt	0.50	0.50	0.50
monocalcium phosphate	0.80	–	–
mineral-vitamin	1.00	1.00	1.00
supplement^b
aroma	0.03	0.03	0.03
L-lysine	–	–	0.16
Chemical composition^c
DM, g/kg	901±0.8	897±1.2	897±1.0
ash, g/kg DM	85±1.3	78±0.8	79±2.1
crude protein, g/kg DM	206±1.9	188±2.8	196±2.9
fat, g/kg DM	28±0.4	31±0.2	30±0.9
aNDF, g/kg DM	161±0.9	190±5.4	195±2.1
ADF, g/kg DM	68±1.7	97±4.6	110±7.5
Amino acid, g/kg DM
Ala	7.8±0.1	7.1±0.2	7.2±0.2
Arg	14.8±1.4	11.9±1.2	12.2±1.9
Asp	16.1±0.2	11.9±0.2	12.0±0.9
Cys	2.7±0.2	3.0±0.2	3.2±0.2
Glu+Gln	34.3±0.7	30.5±0.2	30.8±0.9
Gly	7.6±0.1	7.3±0.2	7.7±0.2
His	4.8±0.3	4.5±0.1	4.6±0.1
Ile	6.7±0.1	5.7±0.1	5.9±0.2
Leu	13.7±0.3	12.1±0.3	12.4±0.3
Lys	8.6±0.2	7.4±0.2	9.2±0.4
Met	2.5 ±0.1	2.6 ±0.1	2.9 ±0.1
Phe	8.3±0.1	6.7±0.2	7.0±0.1
Pro	11.3±0.2	11.3±0.1	11.8±0.2
Ser	6.8±0.2	6.1±0.5	3.1±0.1
Thr	6.0±0.2	5.9±0.3	6.1±0.2
Tyr	5.1±0.4	4.9±0.1	5.0±0.2
Val	9.4 ±0.2	8.8±0.2	9.1±0.2
Lys/Met	3.44	2.85	3.20

a TSBM = starter mixture containing soybean meal as the main source of protein; TCM = starter mixture containing canola meal as the main source of protein; TCML = starter mixture containing canola meal as the main source of protein and additionally supplemented with rumen-unprotected Lys.

b Blattin Super Premium (Blattin Polska Sp. z o.o., Izbicko, Polska): 18,3% Ca; 3% P; 8,5% Na; 5,5% Mg; 11,500 mg Zn; 5,000 mg Mn; 1,500 mg Cu; 27 mg Co; 83 mg I; 87 mg Se; 1,000,000 IU vitamin A; 160,000 IU vitamin D; 5,000 mg vitamin E; 20 mg vitamin B₁; 30 mg vitamin B₂; 2,156 mg vitamin B₃; 67 mg vitamin B₅; 100,000 μg vitamin B₇; 4 mg vitamin B₉; 25 mg vitamin B₆; 250 mg vitamin B₁₂.

c n=3.

Table 2.

Ingredient and chemical composition of pelleted starter mixtures (mean±standard deviation) – study 2

LOW	LOW+	HIGH	HIGH+
Ingredient (% as fed)
canola meal	10.0	10.0	32.0	32.0
soybean meal	14.0	14.0	–	–
barley grain	25.97	25.87	10.97	10.87
corn grain	15.5	15.5	22.0	22.0
wheat	16.0	16.0	19.0	19.0
wheat bran	8.0	8.0	6.0	6.0
whey protein (dry)	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5
mineral-vitamin	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
supplement^b
glycerol	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
molasses	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
monocalcium	0.5	0.5	–	–
phosphate
limestone	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
sodium chloride	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
aroma	0.03	0.03	0.03	0.03
enzyme^c	–	0.1	–	0.1
Chemical composition^d
DM, g/kg	897±1.9	895±2.8	895±1.8	893±2.3
ash, g/kg DM	77±2.3	78±2.5	78±2.1	76±3.8
crude protein, g/kg DM	191±3.3	180±1.7	184±10.0	188±11.0
aNDF, g/kg DM	153±11.1	155±9.0	184±8.6	182±6.0
ADF, g/kg DM	69±3.0	72±5.1	105±2.6	106±3.3
starch, g/kg DM	442±0.8	441±3.3	407±1.1	401±1.3

a LOW = low canola meal inclusion in the starter mixture; LOW+ = low canola meal inclusion in starter mixture + enzyme; HIGH = high canola meal inclusion in the starter mixture; HIGH+ = high canola meal inclusion in starter mixture + enzyme.

b Blattin Super Premium (Blattin Polska Sp. z o.o., Izbicko, Polska): 18.3% Ca; 3% P; 8.5% Na; 5.5% Mg; 11,500 mg Zn; 5,000 mg Mn; 1,500 mg Cu; 27 mg Co; 83 mg I; 87 mg Se; 1,000,000 IU vitamin A; 160,000 IU vitamin D; 5,000 mg vitamin E; 20 mg vitamin B₁; 30 mg vitamin B₂; 2,156 mg vitamin B₃; 67 mg vitamin B₅; 100,000 μg vitamin B₇; 4 mg vitamin B₉; 25 mg vitamin B₆; 250 mg vitamin B₁₂.

c Superzyme-CS (CBS Bio Platforms, Canada; containing: xylanase (1,300 U/g), glucanase (150 U/g), invertase (700 U/g), protease (6,000 U/g), cellulase (800 U/g), amylase (12,000 U/g) and mannanase (5 U/g)).

d n=3.

Table 3.

Ingredient and chemical composition of pelleted starter mixtures (mean±standard deviation) – study 3

CTRL	TRBP	TRCM	TRCM+
Ingredient (% as fed)
soybean meal	22.0	17.0	17.0	17.0
canola meal	–	–	7.5	7.5
wheat bran	5.0	9.0	5.0	5.0
DDGS	–	9.0	–	–
barley	27.72	12.97	20.47	20.37
corn	15.0	27.0	20.0	20.0
wheat	20.0	15.0	20.0	20.0
whey	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5
mineral-vitamin supplement^b	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
glycerol	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
molasses	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
monocalcium phosphate	0.25	–	–	–
limestone	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
sodium chloride	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
aroma	0.03	0.03	0.03	0.03
enzyme^c	–	–	–	0.1
Chemical composition^d
DM, g/kg	891±1.0	896±4.3	893±1.0	891±3.3
ash, g/kg DM	75±0.2	74±1.3	73±1.5	77±0.4
crude protein, g/kg DM	195±4.6	196±7.6	191±2.5	192±0.2
aNDF, g/kg DM	143±3.3	163±5.9	152±0.6	145±2.1
ADF, g/kg DM	64±0.7	66±2.5	70±2.4	67±1.6
starch, g/kg DM	451±0.4	446±2.1	443±1.7	445±6.9

a CTRL = starter mixture containing soybean meal as a main source of protein; TRBP = starter mixture in which soybean meal was partially replaced by wheat bran and DDGS; TRCM = starter mixture in which soybean meal was partially replaced by canola meal; TRCM+ = TRCM supplemented with feed enzymes.

d n=4.

Table 4.

Ingredient and chemical composition of pelleted starter mixtures (mean±standard deviation) – study 4

MC	HC	MEC	HEC
Ingredient (% as fed)
canola meal	24.0	34.0	–	–
extruded canola meal	–	–	24.0	34.0
soybean meal	7.0	–	7.0	–
barley grain	15.71	13.0	15.71	13.0
corn grain	22.0	22.0	22.0	22.0
wheat	20.0	20.0	20.0	20.0
wheat bran	5.0	5.0	5.0	5.0
molasses	3.0	3.0	3.0	3.0
mineral-vitamin supplement^b	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
monocalcium phosphate	0.25	–	0.25	–
limestone	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
sodium chloride	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7
aroma	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
magnesium oxide	0.4	–	0.4	–
Chemical composition^c
DM	875±2.8	877±1.2	878±4.6	879±4.5
ash, g/kg DM	75±5.2	71±2.8	75±1.9	75±1.1
crude protein, g/kg DM	231±3.7	225±3.7	212±7.8	230±5.9
aNDF, g/kg DM	140±6.6	169±12.2	140±15.0	151±18.5
ADF, g/kg DM	54±18.1	72±7.4	78±34.8	94±37.1
starch, g/kg DM	385±22.1	349±27.8	377±20.0	346±13.0

a MC = moderate inclusion of canola meal in the starter mixture; HC = high inclusion of canola meal in the starter mixture; MEC = moderate inclusion of extruded canola meal in the starter mixture; HEC = high inclusion of extruded canola meal in the starter mixture.

b 45,000 mg Zn; 30,000 mg Mn; 8,000 mg Cu; 800 mg I; 200 mg Se; 40,000 mg Fe; 6,400,000 IU vitamin A; 2,200,000 IU vitamin D; 20,000 mg vitamin E; 400 mg vitamin K; 8,000 mg vitamin B₁; 1,500 mg vitamin B₂; 6,000 mg vitamin B₃; 3,000 mg vitamin B₅; 6,000 mg vitamin B₆; 40 mg vitamin B₇; 200 mg vitamin B₉; 2 mg vitamin B₁₂; 20,000 mg choline.

c n=3.

Table 5.

Initial age, BW, ADG, feed intake, feed efficiency and fecal score of calves – study 1

TSBM	TCM	TCML	1	2
n	14	14	14
Initial age, days	24.0	24.1	24.3	0.86	0.39	0.49
BW, kg
day^d 1	44.4	44.2	45.6	1.49	0.70	0.38
day 49	82.2	81.0	82.1	2.48	0.82	0.73
day 70	110.5	106.6	108.6	3.23	0.43	0.63
ADG, g/day
day 1 to 49	762	755	743	38.5	0.76	0.81
day 50 to 70	1311	1222	1257	68.3	0.36	0.70
day 1 to 70	927	896	898	41.5	0.53	0.97
Milk replacer intake, g of powder/day
day 1 to 49	886	886	886	–	–	–
day 50 to 70	363	363	363	–	–	–
Starter intake, g DM/day
day 1 to 49^e	452	525	515	57.6	0.27	0.81
day 50 to 70^e	2408	2412	2487	126.8	0.71	0.76
day 1 to 70^e	1042	1093	1105	82.2	0.29	0.89
Feed efficiency, g gain/kg DM
day 1 to 49	583	549	548	22.7	0.06	0.95
day 50 to 70	500	460	463	14.8	0.01	0.81
day 1 to 70	543	507	508	10.8	< 0.01	0.94
Fecal score
day 1 to 49^e	1.17	1.13	1.19	0.034	0.84	0.20
day 50 to 70	1.05	1.08	1.05	0.025	0.72	0.41
day 1 to 70^e	1.29	1.11	1.14	0.026	0.95	0.38

b Standard error or standard error of the mean.

c 1 = TSBM vs. TCM and TCML; 2 = TCM vs. TCML.

d Day of the study.

e Significant time effect (P≤0.05).

Table 6.

Initial age, total serum protein, BW, ADG, feed intake, feed efficiency, fecal score and health indicators of calves – study 2

LOW	LOW+	HIGH	HIGH+	canola inclusion	enzyme	interaction
n	25	25	25	25
Initial age, days	17.7	17.4	17.6	18.0	0.42	0.45	0.92	0.41
Total serum protein, g/dL^c	6.61	6.52	6.46	6.37	0.158	0.26	0.50	0.96
Cumulative milk replacer intake, kg DM^c	51.9	52.1	52.3	52.3	0.19	0.16	0.75	0.66
Cumulative starter intake, kg DM^c	41.5	39.6	48.0	44.1	2.30	0.12	< 0.01	0.58
Initial BW, kg	44.6	44.5	44.4	44.5	1.09	0.90	0.99	0.92
Final BW, kg	97.2	99.9	96.9	99.7	1.78	0.82	0.05	0.91
ADG, g/day^c	843	881	836	879	27.5	0.81	0.04	0.91
Feed efficiency, g gain/kg DM^d	567	555	573	576	14.1	0.15	0.63	0.43
Fecal score^e	1.19	1.16	1.15	1.13	0.022	0.15	0.20	0.89
Diarrhea, days^f	1.30	1.08	1.23	0.67	0.203	0.16	0.04	0.27
Diarrhea, days^g	10.28	8.89	8.36	7.11	0.590	< 0.01	0.02	0.90
Diarrhea, n/calf	0.78	0.70	0.67	0.36	0.158	0.10	0.16	0.32
Medical treatments, n/calf	0.72	1.04	0.96	1.16	0.200	0.33	0.17	0.67

b Standard error or standard error of the mean.

c Tendency to significant effect of farm (0.05<P≤0.10).

d Significant effect of farm (P≤0.05).

e Significant effect of time (P<0.01).

f Fecal score ≥3.

g Fecal score ≥2.

Table 7.

Initial age, total serum protein, BW, ADG, feed intake, feed efficiency, fecal score and health indicators of calves – study 3

CTRL	TRBP	TRCM	TRCM+		1	2	3
n	30	30	30	30
Initial age, days	17.2	17.4	17.3	17.0	0.40	0.78	0.87	0.65
Total serum protein, g/dL^d	6.57	6.56	6.80	6.58	0.139	0.47	0.18	0.22
Cumulative milk replacer intake, kg DM	48.7	49.1	49.4	49.1	0.20	0.03	0.16	0.25
Cumulative starter intake, kg DM	42.1	40.2	39.6	40.0	2.86	0.38	0.84	0.90
Initial BW, kg	42.9	42.9	43.0	43.0	0.83	0.93	0.90	0.98
Final BW, kg	94.0	91.6	91.7	91.3	1.62	0.10	0.96	0.83
ADG, g/day^e	815	777	779	773	26.2	0.12	0.96	0.83
Feed efficiency, g gain/kg DM	566	550	557	550	10.3	0.15	0.53	0.49
Fecal score^c	1.31	1.26	1.23	1.25	0.234	< 0.01	0.36	0.54
Diarrhea, days^f, ^g	1.96	1.33	1.13	1.40	0.218	< 0.01	0.48	0.32
Diarrhea, days^h	18.0	15.2	13.5	14.8	0.73	< 0.01	0.09	0.21
Diarrhea, n/calf	1.09	0.87	0.56	0.87	0.167	0.05	0.15	0.15
Medical treatments, n/calf^d	0.47	0.60	0.61	0.78	0.145	0.38	0.95	0.37

b Standard error or standard error of the mean.

c 1 = CTRL vs. TRBP and TRCM; 2 = TRBP vs. TRCM; 3 = TRCM vs. TRCM+.

d Significant effect of farm (P≤0.05).

e Significant effect of time (P<0.01).

f Fecal score ≥3.

g Significant effect of farm and treatment × farm interaction (P≤0.05).

h Fecal score ≥2.

Table 8.

Initial age, total serum protein, BW, ADG, feed intake, feed efficiency, fecal score and health indicators of calves – study 4

MC	HC	MEC	HEC	inclusion	processing	interaction
n	29	30	30	29
Initial age, days	18.2	18.4	18.3	18.4	0.43	0.72	0.79	0.84
Total serum protein, g/dL	6.12	6.21	6.25	6.19	0.107	0.58	0.84	0.48
Cumulative milk replacer intake, kg DM	50.6	50.5	50.6	50.8	0.17	0.63	0.35	0.24
Cumulative starter intake, kg DM	39.4	35.1	39.7	39.2	3.31	0.31	0.34	0.42
Initial BW, kg	42.4	42.5	42.3	42.6	1.04	0.82	0.98	0.89
Final BW, kg	90.9	89.7	91.9	92.0	1.79	0.62	0.23	0.63
ADG, g/day^c	771	749	786	790	28.2	0.67	0.17	0.54
Feed efficiency, g gain/kg DM	542	553	553	557	9.46	0.37	0.32	0.63
Fecal score^c	1.09	1.09	1.07	1.06	0.014	0.63	0.10	0.53
Diarrhea, days^d	4.98	5.15	4.07	3.43	0.405	0.44	< 0.01	0.25
Diarrhea, days^e	0.58	0.68	0.70	0.48	0.148	0.61	0.72	0.23
Diarrhea, n/calf	0.38	0.50	0.43	0.23	0.118	0.56	0.28	0.13
Medical treatments, n/calf	0.043	0.010	0.028	0.040	310.1	0.15	0.22	0.02

b Standard error or standard error of the mean.

c Significant effect of time (P<0.01).

d Fecal score ≥3.

e Fecal score ≥2.

Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2025-0074 | Journal eISSN: 2300-8733 (formerly 1642-3402) | Journal ISSN: 1642-3402

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Language: English

Page range: 605 - 620

Submitted on: Dec 18, 2024

Accepted on: Jun 17, 2025

Published on: Apr 15, 2026

Published by: National Research Institute of Animal Production

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

Keywords:

lysine,

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© 2026 Paweł Górka, Klaudia Krupa, Marcin Podżorski, Marcin Przybyło, Jarosław Kański, Zygmunt M. Kowalski, Adam Stępień, Katarzyna Burakowska, Gregory B. Penner, Anna Rogiewicz, Rob Patterson, published by National Research Institute of Animal Production
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 26 (2026): Issue 2 (April 2026)