The Evolution of Dairy Calf Nutrition

We’ve come a long way in dairy calf feeding, according to calf industry consultant Dave Kuehnel of New Glarus, Wis.

Kuehnel reflected on his lifelong career in the calf nutrition business during a presentation at the 2023 Dairy Calf and Heifer Association annual conference. He shared not only his own observations, but those of more than 20 of his professional peers whom he queried for their perspectives.

Collectively, their summary of more than a half decade of calf-feeding progress included:

1970s – Calves were fed minimal liquid rations in an effort to wean them onto starter grain as quickly as possible. In the liquid-feeding phase, this represented a total of about 25 pounds of milk replacer powder over about 38 days. Given what we now know about calf nutrition, Kuehnel dubbed this the “starvation diet.” “It was a horrible environment for raising calves, and I’m glad it’s gone,” he declared.

1980s – Whey protein concentrates became more popular in diets, displacing skim milk. The importance of colostrum feeding became more widely recognized.

1990s – Feeding higher levels of milk replacer solids was recognized as a way to support better growth and health. Acidified milk led to the adoption of autofeeders.

2000s – The link between nutrition and lifetime performance became more evident, and feeding rates of liquid rations were increased considerably. On-farm pasteurizers for calf diets became more popular.

2010s – Use of sexed semen and beef-on-dairy breeding led to more strategic replacement heifer creation. Pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics in food animal production grew.

2020s – The liquid feeding phase is now treated as a diet, or “liquid TMR,” considering daily intake of protein, fat, and total solids. Bioactives and other beneficial additives are being included in liquid rations. Fetal and early life programming are becoming more widely understood. There is considerable competition from human nutrition applications for dairy powders – particularly whey, which was once considered a waste product.

Kuehnel said the increased value of whey and other milk solids may require future creativity in formulating effective-yet-affordable calf milk replacer rations, as he envisions the possibility of dairy powders becoming “too valuable” for milk replacer. “But that’s good news for the dairy industry as a whole,” he declared, “because every dollar in value gained goes in the dairyman’s pocket.”

The overall volume of the liquid ration and the milk replacer business for replacement calves has roughly doubled in the past 10 years, and Kuehnel is heartened by this increase in solids and nutrients. He said, “One of our greatest discoveries is that ‘more milk’ (in the calfhood phase) equals ‘more milk’ (in future milk production). That knowledge has revolutionized the way we feed calves, and all for the better.”