Calf Feeding

Posted by Dr. Sara Barber on February 24 2004 11:38

The Traditional Feeding Program

• One pound of milk replacer into a gallon of warm water
• Two quarts fed twice/day
• What type of growth can we expect on this program?

What do you get from a traditional feeding program?

• 20-20 Milk Replacer
• 2088 kcal/day
• Maintenance Needs on an 80# calf at 50 degrees = 1440 kcal/day
• So that leaves 648 kcal for disease fighting and growth
• Under ideal conditions (50 degrees and healthy)

Average Daily Gain 0.66# on milk replacer alone

Why were these programs developed for limit feeding?

• Early milk replacers were poor quality (calves would develop diarrhea if fed high quantities)
• Fits easily into 2 quart bottle
• Tadition
• Limited milk replacer facilitates early weaning by encouraging starter feed intake

What would happen naturally?

• Calf suckling dam would consume approximately 2.0 gallons of milk/day
• Gains would be 2.1-3.0 pounds/day
• Traditional programs have gains of 0.75-1.00 pound/day (including milk replacer and starter)

What about when the temperature drops?

• For every 10 degree drop below 50 degrees the 80# calf requires 200 more kcal/day for maintenance
• 50 degrees: 648 extra (0.66# gain)
• 40 degrees: 448 extra (0.5# gain)
• 30 degrees: 248 extra (0.25# gain)
• 20 degrees: 48 extra (0 gain)
• 10 degrees: short 152 kcal (calf cannot meet maintenance on 1 pound 20/20 milk replacer alone)

Why don't calves die?

• Utilize energy from body reserves
• Eat more starter (if available)

Should you feed more 20-20 milk replacer?

• 1 pound = 2088 kcal
• 1 1/4 pound = 2610 kcal
• 1 1/2 pound = 3132 kcal

Feeding Higher Rates of 20-20 Milk Replacer

• Will not deposit lean tissue as protein will be limiting (not in the proper ratio)
• Calves will have increased daily gains but this will be fat gain no lean tissue gain
• These diets were designed for 1 pound per day feeding

What about whole milk?

• Milk replacers contain about 75-90% the energy in whole milk
• Milk is about 25% protein and 25% fat (DM)
• 10.8# of milk contains 2760 kcal (1.25 gal)
• Perfect conditions: 1.32#/day

Pasteurized Milk Studies

Compared to traditional milk replacer

• Higher growth rates and decreased treatment and death loss

Accelerated Formulas could be renamed Normal Growth Formula

Goal: Obtain same growth rates as those calves that remain on their mothers

Composition of Rapid Growth Milk Replacers

• Higher protein and lower fat than 20-20
• Protein 25-28 and fat 15-17
• Increased volumes fed
• May feed 2x or 3x

Energy in Accelerated Milk Replacers

• 2080 kcal/pound (fed at 1.5#/day) so 3120 kcal/day
• Comparable energy per pound but better feed more and better balance of protein and fat for growth

Advantages

• Increased growth rate
• Increased lean tissue to fat ratio
• Increased efficiency of gain
• Improved immune function
• Do not need to change program with weather conditions (gains may slighty decrease but there is still plenty of energy and protein available for growth)

Concerns with rapid growth programs

• Higher milk feeding rates will increase ADG but reduce starter intake
• Reduced starter intake can delay wean age
• May stall at weaning if not eating enough starter
• Increase expense

Summary

• Traditional 20-20 milk replacer plus starter limit growth rates of calves
• Calves need to be nutritionally supplemented when temperature is below 40 degrees
• Pasteurized whole milk or accelerated feeding programs allows for improved health and improved gains.