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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402550
Research Project: Improving Sustainability of Dairy and Forage Production Systems for the Upper Midwest

Location: Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research

Title: Impact of milk replacer feeding program on growth and efficiency of Angus x Holstein calves

Author
item SEITZ, ALYSSA - University Of Wisconsin
item Akins, Matthew
item SINDELAR, JEFF - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: American Dairy Science Association Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2023
Publication Date: 6/28/2023
Citation: Seitz, A., Akins, M.S., Sindelar, J. 2023. Impact of milk replacer feeding program on growth and efficiency of Angus x Holstein calves. American Dairy Science Association Abstracts. June 25-28, 2023.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Dairy beef (DB) crossbreeding has become prevalent in the dairy industry to help manage heifer inventories and increase calf values; however minimal information is available on pre-weaning nutrition for DB crossbred calves. This study evaluated the feed intake and growth of DB calves fed two different milk replacer (MR) feeding programs. Angus x Holstein crossbred calves (n=96; 48 heifers and 48 bulls) were blocked by expected birthdate and gender into four blocks (24 animals; 12 heifers and 12 bulls). Calves were then randomly assigned to one of two MR feeding treatments being either 1) a 28% CP and 14% fat MR fed at 0.80 kg powder/d with weaning at 35 days old (28/14) or 2) a 22% CP and 20% fat MR fed at 0.58 kg powder/d with weaning at 42 days old (22/20). Liquid MR was fed twice daily until one week before weaning, then reduced to one feeding until weaning. Calf starter (18% CP) was offered free choice at one day of age with intakes monitored through 49 d of age. Water was offered ad libitum after each milk feeding. Data were analyzed (SAS v9.4) as a randomized complete block design with calf considered the experimental unit and MR treatment and calf sex included as fixed effects. Intake of MR was affected by treatment (P < 0.01) with calves fed 28/14 having higher total MR intake (24.5 kg DM) compared to 22/20 (21.9 kg DM). Total starter intake was not affected by MR treatment or calf sex (P > 0.48) with a mean of 46.6 kg starter DM consumed from birth to 7 weeks of age. Daily gain from birth to weaning was not affected by MR treatment (P = 0.74) with calves fed 28/14 gaining 0.62 kg/d for 35 days compared to calves fed 22/20 gaining 0.63 kg/d across 42 days of MR feeding. Daily gains from birth to 7 weeks of age were also not affected by MR or sex (P > 0.59) with a mean of 0.75 kg gain/d. Gain efficiency from birth to 7 weeks of age was not affected by MR treatment or sex (P > 0.49) with a mean efficiency of 0.54 kg gain/kg DM intake. Overall, MR programs with varying composition, feeding amounts, and weaning age had little effect on DB crossbred calf growth, starter intake, or gain efficiencies.