Calf milk replacer vs whole milk: higher performance and more cost effective
12 June 2009
Calf milk replacer vs whole milk: higher performance and more cost effective
Dairy calves achieve higher growth rates, more cost effectively, if they are reared on a high quality calf milk replacer, according to results from trials carried out at Teagasc Moorepark Research Centre. Compared with calves offered cold whole milk, those fed cold calf milk replacer weighed over 8kg heavier at eight week weaning, the cost of rearing worked out at 49p/kg liveweight gain less per calf over the 10 week rearing period, and the system minimised the potential spread of Johne’s.
A group of calves from Moorepark Research Centre’s 300 cow black and white herd were housed in batches of nine from 10 days of age and introduced to one of two feeding regimes: restricted whole milk or restricted Volac Heiferlac calf milk replacer, analysing 27% protein, 16.6% fat on a DM basis. The milks were fed once a day from a mobile teat feeder. Both groups of calves were offered a calf starter ration ad lib until they were weaned abruptly at eight weeks of age when a commercially available calf pellet was introduced.
“Calves fed milk replacer through to weaning at 56 days weighed an average 6kg heavier over those fed milk from the tank,” explained Teagasc’s Dr David Gleeson. “Furthermore that weight differential continued through to 70 days when those same calves fed milk replacer weighed an average 8.3kg heavier, a trend which maybe attributed to the fact these calves ate 33% more concentrate over the trial period.” See table 1.
Table 1: Comparison of whole milk vs milk replacer over eight weeks
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Milk feeding regime
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Whole milk
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Milk replacer
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Total feed cost to 56 days (£)
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75.9
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60.9
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Cost/kg liveweight gain to 56 days (£)
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1.59
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1.10
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Ave 56 day weaning weight (kg)
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75.5
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81.5
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Ave 70 day weight (kg)
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86.8
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95.1
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Ave overall weight gain (kg)
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47.7
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55.4
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Source: Teagasc Moorepark Research Centre / Volac
“Apart from demonstrating accelerated calf performance, feeding milk replacer also reduced our concerns about the potential spread of Johne’s disease through whole milk, it reduced the potential spread of Staphylococcus aureus from cow to suckled calf and it also enabled us to fully exploit the value of whole milk sold to the dairy.”
Volac’s calf rearing specialist, Maggie Gould adds "In line with previous trials comparing milk replacer with whole milk feeding, the Moorepark calves reared on Heiferlac ate more concentrates and grew faster to weaning and beyond. Higher early concentrate intake helps promote earlier rumen development and encourages a smoother transition at weaning. This in turn reduces weaning checks and improves overall efficiency.”
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