Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca Lacey Hanson

A little bit about me Picture courtesy of - Picture courtesy of- Picture courtesy of-

Mentorship Calf Manager David Ziegler and me Project Supervisor Hugh Chester-Jones and me

Why I wanted this mentorship

Project Feeding calves milk replacers containing different protein sources, watching the performance before and after weaning. Background Objective

Dairy Farms Clay View Dairy Wolf Creek Dairy Bombay Dairy

Calf feeding Systems Waste whole milk Milk replacer Picture courtesy of-

What they are testing

What are they trying to answer? Will the weight gain and health of the calves change from partial replacement of milk protein with plant source proteins which are that less expensive?

Standard Protocol Start with a strong healthy calf. A non-medicated all-milk protein milk replacer (20% fat:20% protein) is fed at 1.25 lb a day mixed with water for 35 days and half that from day 36 to weaning at day 42. Medication is added to the milk replacer for 14 days after arrival to prevent health problems. A texturized 18% crude protein calf starter is offered free choice as well as fresh water.

What is calf starter?

The stomach of a calf The stomach of a calf consist of four parts. – Reticulum – Rumen – Omasum – Abomasum (true stomach)

Abomasum

Rumen

Data Collection Fecal scores are recorded daily and summarized weekly by treatment through 4 weeks of age. Health, treatment, and death loss records are recorded on an individual calf basis. Blood samples are taken from each calf upon arrival and analyzed for serum protein. Treatment days and cost are recorded for each treated calf.

What I learned

Preliminary Results Calf Growth days 1 to 42 Treatment lbs/day Treatment lbs/day Treatment lbs/day Treatment lbs/day

Interpretation of Results Calf growth was not affected by milk replacers fed Calves remained healthy throughout Final results will be analyzed statistically and information disseminated