الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present study used 20 male Friesian calves after three days of parturition with 35.07 kg as average live body weight at birth. Animals were divided into four similar groups, five calves in each. Calves were fed 1.5-2 kg of colostrum from their dams using feeding bottle within 30 minute of parturition then they suckled whole milk up to weaning age (105 d). Calves in the 1st group were fed whole cow milk in two meals at 6.0 a.m. and 6.0 p.m. and the starter were given with good quality berseem hay (BH; Trifolium alexandrinum) after 7 days of age this group considered as a control group (without any treatment, G1). Treated calves in the 2nd group were fed as those in control with 50 mg /kg BW of Probax® (L group) (1.0x1010 CFU Lactobacillus and Dextrose up to 1kg, Dugok-Ri, Sinam-Myeon Co Ltd., Yesan-Gun, Chungcheongnam-Do 340-861, Korea, G2). The calves in 3rd group were fed on the same ration of control group with 40 mg of thyme extract /kg of body weight (T group, G3). While, in the 4th group, calves were received 50 mg of Probax® /kg BW in combination with 40 mg of thyme extract (CLT group, G4). 5- The starter which used in the present study was composed of 38% yellow corn, 23% soybean meal, 35% wheat bran, 2% molasses, 1% premix and 1% common salt. The obtained results could be summarized as the following:- 1- Effect of different treatments on body weight: Body weight of Friesian calves in G4 was significantly (P<0.05) recorded the highest value at different age periods being 48.40 after 30 days of age and reached 102.40 kg at the end of treatment period (150 d), while, calves in G1 recorded the lowest body weight at the same period being 42.8 and 79.40 kg, in the same order. Data indicated that using lactobacillus (G2) or thyme (G3) alone showed moderate effect on body weight at different age, whereas, its combination (G4) showed the highest significantly (P<0.05) effect on calves body weight. 1-1- Changes in calf total and daily body gain: Results reflected significant (P<0.01) effect for G2, G3 and their combination (G4) appeared as increased the positive change in both body gain and average of daily gain. Clearly the combination between L and T treatment in G4 showed the highest value of body gain changes followed by the T only group (G3) then L only in G2 compared to control group (G1) at different experimental periods. 5- The highest significant (P<0.01) change value in body gain during the experimental period was in G4 being 63.8 kg while, the lowest value was in G1 (41.2 kg) and the moderated value was in G2 being 52.4 kg. 2- Effect of different treatments on body measurements: Results indicated that no significant differences were found between different treatment groups at beginning of experimental period body length measure and it ranged between 59.4 and 60.8 cm, while, starting from 30 days post-treatment till the end of experimental period at 150 days, calves in G4 had the highest (P˂0.05) values at different periods it was reached 89.40 cm at 150 days of age and G3 calves had the followed value being 83.20 cm then those in G2 being 79.00 cm in compared to untreated calves in G1 (74.20 cm). There is significant effect for the combination of L and T on body length of Friesian calves and T only treatment compared than L only treatment and the lowest (P˂0.05) value was in G1 that without any treatment. The means of calve neck circumference were affected by treatment groups, data showed significant (P˂0.05) increase in the circumference of calve neck at different ages in G4 it was the highest (P˂0.05) value at 150 days post-treatment being 67.80 cm, while at the same period the lowest (P˂0.05) value was in G1 being 60.59 cm, the calves in G3 had high value compared to those in G2 being 67.50 and 63.82 cm, respectively. The calf heart girth values were did not affected significantly (P˂0.05) by treatments at beginning of experimental period it was ranged between 76.2 and 78.4 cm, while after treatment heart girth of Friesian calves were differ significantly (P˂0.05) as affected by treatment groups, being best in all treated groups compared to control one. Results indicated that there no differences in the average of abdominal circumference at beginning of experimental period in different groups being within the range of 78.40 – 80.39 cm, similarly, after 30 days of age no significant differences were found between groups it ranged from 81.18 to 84.00 cm. The hip high was not different between treatment groups at beginning of experimental period, it ranged between 67.00 and 69.20 cm. Starting from 30 till 90 and at 120 days of age its clearly to note that hip high in G2, G3 and G4 was highly significant (P˂0.05) than in control (G1) but there were no significant differences between these groups. Calves wither high ranged from 70.20 to 72.00 cm at the beginning of experimental period without any significant differences between groups. While, analysis of variance showed significant (P˂0.05) effect in different treated groups (G2, G3 and G4) in compared to control group (G1) during different calve ages.