Interesting information on Milk Replacers

[dun]

One thing I found interesting is that "The esophageal groove forms whether calves are fed from a nipple bottle or from an open pail" (page 5)
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/ud013.pdf

 

[CKC1586]

Wow! Goes against what we have previously been taught, right? Seems there was a few threads discussing this very topic (?) some time ago. Good article. Thanks for sharing. :tiphat:

 

[dun]

Wow! Goes against what we have previously been taught, right? Seems there was a few threads discussing this very topic (?) some time ago. Good article. Thanks for sharing. :tiphat:

That's why I posted it

 

[bigbluegrass]

Interesting read. I found it very interesting that grain develops the rumen better/faster than hay. I wonder how grass fits in there?

 

[CottageFarm]

Thank you for posting this!
This is a very helpful addition to us newbies who are attempting to sort thru the enormous amount of (sometimes conflicting) information out there.
This study pretty precisly confirms what a number of members (no names mentioned :hide: 8) )of this board have been saying for a while now.

 

[TexasBred]

Very good article...here's another link concerning use of alternative proteins other than milk proteins. Not "as' good as all milk but more profitable. As in all things management is the unknown.

http://savacaf.com/assets/frontlines/58/frontline.pdf

 

[larryshoat]

I've raised thousands of calves and tried to feed wheat protein milk replacer once with disastrous results. I'm sure that if they were calves that stayed on the dairy you could get by with it, but for shipped in calves, it won't work as well. There are probably some all milk replacers out that are crummy too, the quality of the fat is everything.

Great article, anyone wanting to raise calves should study it carefully. All too often we get questions from people trying to raise calves about how to get out of trouble, this article is about how to stay out of trouble.

Larry

 

[TexasBred]

I've raised thousands of calves and tried to feed wheat protein milk replacer once with disastrous results. I'm sure that if they were calves that stayed on the dairy you could get by with it, but for shipped in calves, it won't work as well. There are probably some all milk replacers out that are crummy too, the quality of the fat is everything.

Great article, anyone wanting to raise calves should study it carefully. All too often we get questions from people trying to raise calves about how to get out of trouble, this article is about how to stay out of trouble.

Larry

Oh yeah....just like cattle feed the quality of the ingredient as well as the quantity of it determines how good it is. You can make a milk replacer with dozens of formulations and each will match the guarantee on the tag precisely. One reason it's best to go with a reputable company that knows what they're doing and doesn't constantly change the formulation. Last I used came from the local feed store but after chasing the various companies involved finally learned that it was made by Land O Lakes.

 

[novaman]

Last I used came from the local feed store but after chasing the various companies involved finally learned that it was made by Land O Lakes.

I've been told that Land O Lakes is a top notch replacer. Nobody around my area handles it because it was quite expensive. Like all things though, you usually get what you pay for. Cutting corners on milk replacer will likely result in reduced gains and more sick calves.

 

[dun]

I wonder if LOL makes it for someone else if it's still their formula or something made to the sellers specifications

 

[TexasBred]

I wonder if LOL makes it for someone else if it's still their formula or something made to the sellers specifications

That's always in the back of your mind. Sort of like Purina making "Dumor" feed for TSC. This milk replacer had the name of NutraBlend which is a large feed additive company for feed mills, however, their parent company is LOL, aka PMI. still don't know if it was a custom mix or one of LOL's existing formulas in a different bag. I'll think I still have the tag off it. Will see what guarantees or and what ingredients are.

Cr. Protein 22%
Fat 20
Fiber .5
Calcium Min .75%...Max 1.25%
Phos, min .75%
Vitamin A 20,000 IU/lb
Vitmain D3 5,000 IU/lb
Vitamin E 100 IU/lb

Ingredients: Dried Whey, Dried Whey Protein Concentrate, Dried Whey Product, Dried Skimmed Milk, Dried Milk Protein, Protein Modified Soy Flour, Animal Fat, Vitamin, minerals and 36 mg/lb. of Bovatec