Feeding milk replacer 3x per day weans calves earlier
The calves you’re feeding today are the cows you’ll be milking tomorrow so it’s important to feed them the best, according to Land O Lake’s young animal technical manager, Dr. Susan Day. Listen here:
Speaking in Wednesday’s DairyLine, Day updated listeners on a product they hear a lot about on our broadcast, AMPLI-Calf milk replacer. She reported that AMPLI-Calf technology is now available throughout the United States, though field trials are still underway.
Users have seen better growth in their calves, according to Day, and better health. Land O Lakes makes no health claims on AMPLI Calf, she said, but health data from field trials shows calf health to be improved from feeding it.
She reported that Land O lakes has seen a lot of interest by registered cattle producers and many show calves are being fed AMPLI Calf technology. Day is herself a registered dairy producer with her husband and feeds AMPLI Calf.
She said they have had great success in getting their calves to eat it and “they grow like champs.” She admitted that her husband and his father refuse to feed their calves anything else and “they’re not known for jumping on a band wagon,” so “that means more to me than even seeing the technology work itself.”
Producers are watching their budgets closely these days but Land O Lakes is helping in that regard, Day said, by offering producers some cost saving tips, such as encouraging them to think long term so as not to stunt the growth and the health of their “future herd” by trying to cut corners now in their calf program.
There are other ways to save money, she said, such as switching to a pelleted feed, which tends to be less expensive than a textured feed. Make sure calves get good colstrum is another important tip, according to Day, so calves stay healthier and you’re not spending money in treatments.
Feeding milk replacer three times a day can improve feed efficiency and allow you to wean those calves earlier, Day said, and thus save on labor costs, “So there’s a lot of things you can do to save money without cutting you calf program.” For more information, Day recommends a visit to the local Land O Lakes Purina feed dealer or visit www.amplicalf.com or call 1-800-237-9895.
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