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Responses of Dairy Calves to Milk Replacer Fed at Various Concentrations

Animal Science Department, North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh¹

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of nutrient concentration on intake and growth by the calf. Thirty male Holstein calves 14 days old were divided among five treatments, consisting of ad libitum feeding of a commercial milk replacer mixed with water to contain 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25% dry matter. Digestibility and nitrogen retention were determined following the growth trial.

Fed intakes increased and dry matter intakes decreased as dry matter in the diet decreased. Calves fed the 15% diet gained faster, increased more in height at withers, had equal or better efficiencies of nutrient utilization and higher veal grades than calves fed other concentrations. Utilization of dry matter was reduced markedly at higher concentrations. Dry matter and crude protein digestibilities decreased with increasing concentration. Intake of water per se increased with increasing concentration of dry matter, whereas total water decreased.

Feed and dry matter intakes indicate that at the 5% dry matter concentration the physical capacity of the calves limited the amount of feed eaten. At the higher nutrient concentrations, the calf attempts to limit its level of nutrient intake.

¹ Contribution from the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, North Carolina. Published with the approval of the Director of Research as Paper No. 1586 of the Journal Series.