How are your calves feeding?
11/17/2009 12:00 AM

Full potential feeding benefits dairy producers

(The following article appears in the Fall 2009 issue of growingtogether magazine. To view the entire publication, click here.)

Land O’Lakes members count on their cooperative to develop and deliver products, services and expertise that help them build on-farm quality, productivity and profitability. For dairy farmers, calf health, nutrition and growth are key to their success. In 1951, Land O’Lakes revolutionized calf nutrition with the introduction of the first calf milk replacer and has maintained its acknowledged leadership with products like Cow’s Match.^® Along with product development, Land O’Lakes researchers discover new insights into calf care. Animal milk expert Dr. Tom Earleywine, director of nutritional services for Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Products, recently shared some of those insights with growingtogether.

The future of members’ dairies depends on the ability to raise healthy, high-producing replacements. Calves and heifers today will soon enter the milking herd, so it’s crucial to put calves on a path toward greater lifetime performance. Earleywine recommends that a full potential feeding program is not only what is best for calves, but it’s also good for members’ bottom line.

“In the last 10 years, studies by leading universities found several advantages to feeding calves a higher plane of nutrition including opportunities for a more cost-efficient rate of gain, earlier weaning and breeding, greater first lactation milk production, and higher lifetime production and performance,” Earleywine says. “Plus, research has shown that feeding calves to their full potential can result in as much as 3,000 pounds more milk production in the first lactation.”

A Solid Base
A full potential feeding program starts with a milk replacer that is 28 percent protein and 20 percent fat (28:20) and includes a soluble fiber technology, fed at 2.5 pounds of powder per day. Cow’s Match® Calf Growth Formula or Cornerstone® 28:20 fits the bill perfectly. “The largest investment in a young calf’s diet – prior to weaning - is milk replacer,” Earleywine explains. “Although you might be tempted to reduce the quality of the milk replacer once the calf begins to consume calf starter more routinely, the risks outweigh the expense of the milk replacer.”

Starting Right
A quality, high-protein calf starter should work in tandem with the milk replacer. It should contain 20-22 percent protein, and be offered to calves at one or two days of age, then refreshed on a daily basis to encourage consumption. This encourages early consumption, contributes to developing the calf’s rumen at a younger age and accelerates her growth. Less is more when it comes to stimulating calf starter consumption, Earleywine says. “When introducing fresh calf starter to young calves, only one or two handfuls are needed within the first week or two so as not to overwhelm the calves or waste feed,” he advises.

Importance of Water
Free-choice water is another critical component to successfully feeding calves to their full potential, Earleywine says. It promotes feed consumption and enables rumen development, which helps sustain growth after weaning. Calves require four pounds of water for every pound of grain they consume. So, offer plenty of clean, fresh water to calves within the first three days of life. This will result in your calves eating more calf starter earlier.

Water and feed buckets should be separated in order to prevent calves from dribbling back and forth. Research shows separation improves both starter and water intake. It’s also important to routinely clean the buckets, since clean water buckets also encourage calves to drink more water.

Although hay would seem like a wise addition to a calf’s diet, it should not be fed to calves until well after they are weaned. “Hay is low in nutrient density which means it will fill the calf’s stomach and inhibit her from eating grain,” Earleywine says.

Producer Benefits
Feeding calves to their full potential offers these benefits to dairy producers:

Faster, more efficient growth: Calves fed a 28:20 milk replacer program are taller and longer than those fed a conventional program. They are also more feed efficient, and retain a greater percentage of nutrients for growth.

Ready for breeding at a younger age: Heifers that reach 55 percent of the size of a mature animal in a herd are ready for breeding. Due to the faster growth rates calves fed a high protein milk replacer program demonstrate, they are often ready for breeding at an earlier age.

Greater first lactation production: Calves fed adequate colostrum at birth and a higher plane of nutrition from birth to weaning produced as much as 3,000 pounds more milk during their first lactation.

Better lifetime performance: In studies conducted at Cornell University in 2004 and 2009, lifetime production and productive days in milk were highest for heifers that calved for the first time at the youngest age (23.3 months). They also found heifers that gained weight fastest pre-weaning produced as much as 8,000 pounds more milk in their first three lactations than their slower-growing counterparts.

Providing the best care for calves requires time, attention and financial investment. By investing in a higher plane of nutrition for your calves, you are helping them reach their full potential. For each dollar invested in a full potential program, a return of $3 to $5 can be expected due to better health and productivity. “Feeding a higher plane of nutrition is the most efficient use of calf feeding resources and ensures the future success of your milking herd,” says Earleywine.