Feeding Calves Through Winter

Nutrition also plays a key role in supporting the calf in growth and performance, and if the calf does not receive enough nutrition during cold stress, they will begin to use body reserves. This will in turn mean that the calf will divert energy from weight gain and the immune system, towards staying warm. Table 1 shows the amount of nutrition the calf needs as temperature changes to maintain a 1.5lb Average Daily Gain (ADG) at 100lbs of Body Weight.

Increasing the quantity of milk or milk replacer can help meet the increased calorie need of the calf. There are a few ways we can do this. One we can add another feeding with at least 6 hours between each feeding. Two, we can keep the same number of feedings but increase the total volume fed and keep the solids the same. Or work closely with your calf nutritionist and increase solids in the same volume. This needs to be done cautiously. Consistency is very important for the calves so concentrating the mixture with more solids is not ideal. Additionally, we want to look for a milk replacer that is designed for the season. Cows Match Cold Front is an option offered at United Cooperative. This is a milk replacer that has 26% Protein and 20% Fat. This ratio will help to keep calves on track for growth and not hinder calf starter intake. For whole milk herds, we can add Pasteurized Milk Balancer for additional solids per calf per day. This product also brings you many other benefits including an ionophore, vitamin and mineral balancing, probiotics/prebiotics, and helps to correct the variation in solids from the milk you are putting in the pasteurizer.

Another key area is evaluating what energy sources are in your milk replacer. Calves derive energy from two sources – carbohydrates and fat. Lactose is the predominant source of carbohydrates in milk replacer. Carbohydrates are digested quickly and provide the calf with energy almost right away. Fat is for storage and is utilized for future energy needs.

When we look at the fat source in milk replacer, we should realize there are differences in the fatty acids. As we evaluate in our milking herd diets, it is also very important for our calves. The length of the fatty acid chain impacts how rapidly the calf can use that fat source. We need a variety of fatty acids in our milk replacer to be effective for growth, mammary development, and immunity.