Calves need more calories

“The more we learn about calves’ nutrient requirements, the more we confirm that we don’t feed them enough,” says Mike Van Amburgh, dairy nutritionist at Cornell University. That doesn’t mean milk replacer is bad; it means we feed it wrong. New research, completed since the 2001 dairy NRC recommendations were released, shows that in order to meet maintenance and growth needs of the calf, milk replacer must be fed at a level equivalent in calories to whole milk. The chart below summarizes the recommendations based on the rate of gain you want to achieve.

Van Amburgh and Drackley, 2005

1. Corn market reacted poorly to the Crop Progress data
2. 4 rules for growing a business or industry
3. Corn planting pace turns from record slow to record fast
4. Ag markets seemed to follow gold higher Monday afternoon
5. Online systems keeps exporters abreast of market regulations
6. April milk production up 0.3 percent

1. D.C. Watch: Farm bill progressing
2. 4 rules for growing a business or industry
3. Class III futures close out quietly last week
4. April milk production up 0.3 percent
5. What are the drivers of profit in your dairy herd?
6. Lowfat dairy may cut diabetes risk

1. Analysis: Dairy Security Act better for farmers, taxpayers
2. Commentary: Slanting the statistics
3. World food supply depends on character, virtuous leadership
4. Buffet concerned about soil and starvation
5. Cold spring stunts upper Midwest hay crop
6. N.M. rancher charged with 43 counts of animal cruelty