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Transitioning to starter feed
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<blockquote data-quote="Lucky_P" data-source="post: 1755783" data-attributes="member: 12607"><p>Travlr. </p><p>We're not talking about feeding 6 pounds of whole shelled or cracked corn to a weaned bottle calf. We're talking a grain/protein pellet starter/grower ration with 16-20% crude protein. It's not a 'hot' feed.</p><p></p><p>Nutritional research has shown that the VFAs(volatile fatty acids) produced during the rumen fermentation of grain products are much more effective in helping those baby calves develop functional rumen papillae than forages... most heifer development programs, anymore, don't recommend feeding any forages prior to weaning. Many dairy heifers these days don't see any hay or grass until they are 8 weeks or age, or older. Young calves can't digest hay or even gain a great deal of nutrition from fresh green grass... that's why we often see those potbellied, light-muscled, rough-coated little bottle calves... they've been fed, or allowed access to, too much forage/hay early on - they can't digest it, but at the same time, they're filled up on it, so they are less able to consume adequate amounts of more readily-digestible feeds (grain-based rations), and they don't meet their growth potential. </p><p></p><p>BC - a 9 wk old weaned bottle calf may 'survive', just turned out on good pasture, but they won't grow well. They still need supplemental energy and protein - in the form of a good quality calf grower ration. </p><p>Even though I used to wean steers at 4 weeks - once they were consuming at least 2# of calf-starter ration per day - I continued to feed a grower ration, in addition to whatever they were getting from their daily grazing. You can't starve a profit out of them!</p><p>I'm a veterinarian, but not a nutritionist. If I were going to be raising dairy calves again (I AM NOT!!!), I'd be needing to acquaint myself with the advances that have been made in nutritional management in the last 35 years. A lot has changed!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lucky_P, post: 1755783, member: 12607"] Travlr. We're not talking about feeding 6 pounds of whole shelled or cracked corn to a weaned bottle calf. We're talking a grain/protein pellet starter/grower ration with 16-20% crude protein. It's not a 'hot' feed. Nutritional research has shown that the VFAs(volatile fatty acids) produced during the rumen fermentation of grain products are much more effective in helping those baby calves develop functional rumen papillae than forages... most heifer development programs, anymore, don't recommend feeding any forages prior to weaning. Many dairy heifers these days don't see any hay or grass until they are 8 weeks or age, or older. Young calves can't digest hay or even gain a great deal of nutrition from fresh green grass... that's why we often see those potbellied, light-muscled, rough-coated little bottle calves... they've been fed, or allowed access to, too much forage/hay early on - they can't digest it, but at the same time, they're filled up on it, so they are less able to consume adequate amounts of more readily-digestible feeds (grain-based rations), and they don't meet their growth potential. BC - a 9 wk old weaned bottle calf may 'survive', just turned out on good pasture, but they won't grow well. They still need supplemental energy and protein - in the form of a good quality calf grower ration. Even though I used to wean steers at 4 weeks - once they were consuming at least 2# of calf-starter ration per day - I continued to feed a grower ration, in addition to whatever they were getting from their daily grazing. You can't starve a profit out of them! I'm a veterinarian, but not a nutritionist. If I were going to be raising dairy calves again (I AM NOT!!!), I'd be needing to acquaint myself with the advances that have been made in nutritional management in the last 35 years. A lot has changed! [/QUOTE]
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