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Fat is an energy-dense nutrient that is a major component in calf milk replacers (MRs) and dry feeds. Over the last 15-plus years, there have been an array of studies looking at MR formulas with different crude-protein-to-fat ratios.
It is often assumed that because Jersey cows have higher fat content in their milk, milk replacers for Jersey calves also need to be higher in fat. However, this has not been confirmed, as research in Jersey calves is limited.
Jerseys are the fastest growing population among dairy breeds, and it’s no surprise the industry is hungry for more data on how to better feed and manage them. With respect to feeding Jersey calves, there is still limited information available on nutritional strategies in the first four months of life.
Current regulations, which went into effect in January 2017, require a prescription to feed calves certain antibiotics in milk replacer. Prior to the change in regulations, some calf growers fed certain antibiotics in milk replacer for the entire pre-weaning period.
The crude protein (CP) concentrations and sources used in calf starters and growers are frequently questioned and debated today. Thirty-five (or more) years ago when the understanding of rumen-degradable and undegradable protein was developing, many nutritionists started adding sources of undegradable protein to calf starters and growers, beginning this discussion.
Feeding calves with self-feeders or computerized auto-feeders has increased in popularity in recent years. These systems can have positive effects for on-farm management, especially around labor, but how are these systems impacting calf performance?
Molasses is a common ingredient in texturized calf starters. It is added for palatability and reduction of dust. Unfortunately, molasses brings some challenges to the manufacturing process because of its viscosity and at the farm because it attracts flies and increases the possibility for mold growth on starter.
After birth, the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants undergoes important anatomical changes. At birth, calves possess a very small microbial population in the rumen.
Most people like consistency in life and work. Consistency should be a major goal in how we feed our baby calves. Here we will discuss how feeding consistently can improve your calf-rearing program.
In a study we published in the Professional Animal Science Journal, calves were fed a low-fat milk replacer (17 percent fat) more typical of the industry and a high-fat milk replacer (30 percent fat) more typical of cow’s milk at an average rate of 1.5 pounds of solids daily.
