HOW MUCH MILK REPLACERS CALVES NEED? NEW STUDIES BRING INTERESTING INSIGHTS

What is the appropriate amount of milk or milk replacer that our calves should receive before weaning? What are the short and long-term benefits of milk replacer intake?

These are some of the questions that have preoccupied growers for years. They need to know how to help calves grow in the most optimal way they can, while also setting the foundation for a healthy and productive life.

In recent years, research has shown that milk replacer intake during the first stages of life and before weaning plays an essential role not only for the development of the animal, but also for its long-term productivity¹. Furthermore, malnutrition during the early stages has been associated with negative health consequences later on², confirming the importance of early nutrition and milk replacer intake to a calf’s future.

What is the recommended amount of milk replacer? Does providing calves with high quantities of milk or milk replacer have any benefits?

In recent years, studies have tried to answer these questions. It is common in many countries to limit the intake of milk replacer to 10% of a calves’ body weight in order to reduce feed costs. In order to facilitate early weaning, concentrate consumption is boosted³. Recent studies, however, have provided a very different picture. Calves receiving higher quantities of milk replacer show higher weight by weaning⁴, stronger immune response, and better metabolic function⁵.

This isn’t the end of the story. According to studies, increased milk consumption has long-term health benefits. Even in the post-weaning phase, regardless of the feeding regime used after weaning, there is a greater and stronger immune response⁶,⁷.

Halavit, a longstanding producer of milk replacers, uses advanced technologies to process milk replacers for multiple animals, including calves. Halavit’s final products undergo strict quality control and assurance. Halavit’s accumulated experience and knowhow, its constant development of innovative products of the highest quality, comprehensive response to diverse needs, and fast and dedicated service are the foundations on which the company is built. The milk replacers produced for all animals are made under food safety standards, and include the highest-level ingredients, including a variety of minerals, vitamins and high protein levels.

Contact us for more information on Halavit’s milk replacers, in order to facilitate high milk intake in the pre-weaning stages of your calves’ lives.  

References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23296823/#:~:text=Data%20from%20calf%20studies%20conducted,first%20lactation%20and%20lifetime%20productivity.
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002203020672197X
3. https://disarmproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/474-Tools-Checklists-Rearing-healthy-calves-by-Dairy-Australia.pdf
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030216000746
5. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0168974
6. https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/news-repository/2023/08/28/calf-nutrition-for-long-term-benefits-in-herd
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030212000318