Dietary Fat in Milk or Milk Replacers for Dairy Calves Raised in Hutches During the Winter

¹ Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801

Forty daily calves born duringDecember through April were used to determinethe effect of feeding supplemental energyas dietary fat in liquid diets on weightgains and physiological response ofcalves raised in outside hutches duringthe winter. Dietary treatments were 1)whole milk, 2) whole milk plus 113 g/dfat supplement, 3) milk replacer, and 4)milk replacer plus 113 g/d fatsupplement. Liquid diets were fed at 9% ofbody weight (adjusted weekly) during the4-wk trial. Calf starter was fed for adlibitum intake beginning on d 21 of trial.Growth and physiological characteristicsof calves were recorded at d 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Weight gains were greater forcalves fed supplemental fat in liquid diets(d 3 to d 28). Average daily gain forcalves fed whole milk, whole milk plusfat, milk replacer, and milk replacer plusfat were 98, 154, 120, and 187 g/d.Starter consumption was similar for alltreatment groups. Addition of 113 g/d offat supplement during the trial resulted ina 20.6 and 39.8% increase in estimatedtotal digestible energy consumed in thewhole milk and milk replacer diets, respectively. The benefits of fatsupplementation to whole milk or milk replacerdiets was manifested as increased bodyweight gain during the dairy calves 1stmo of life.

Key Words: calves • fat supplement • body weight

Submitted on June 16, 1989
Accepted on December 21, 1989