Dairy Calf to Beef (Part 4): Feeding for Performance: Milk Replacer Dos and Don’ts

For this final part of the ‘Dairy Calf to Beef’ series on the Beef Edge, Liam Gannon from Volac discusses feeding the calf up to weaning and the key dos and don’ts around feeding milk replacer.

Liam explains the ingredients one should focus on when selecting a milk replacer and the key benefits of feeding a high-quality milk replacer in terms of nutrition and calf performance cannot be underestimated. If you are happy with the replacer your feeding that is key.

Liam highlights a recommended feeding program for spring-born calves in terms of volume, frequency and dilution rates up to weaning.

He also outlines the common digestive issues when feeding milk replacer, and how farmers can prevent them.

It’s worth noting that consistency has come up throughout this podcast series in relation to feeding milk replacer for calf health, hygiene, timing and mixing.

To conclude Liam discusses the importance of the current dilution rate and advises farmers to take into account the cold weather temperatures and impact that can have and to account for this when feeding replacer.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge

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