Milk Replacer vs Calf Starter:
Farm Affairs: Milk replacer vs Calf starter
Dr. Manish pandey
Dairy enterprise involve several complex activities, care and management of calf is one of them.
Having sound knowledge regarding different feeding concepts can contribute to better health and farm profitability.
Let us understand the concept of milk replacer and calf starter:
Milk Replacer:
It is a constituted feed that have nutritional value almost similar to normal milk.
It is economical to give calf milk replacer, as milk is a high priced commodity.
Feeding calf with milk replacer has double benefits:
1) economic raising of calf
2) save milk.
Feed ingredients in standard milk replacer –
1) Wheat flour
2) Fish meal
3) Linseed meal
4) Molasses
5) Mineral mixture
6) Milk
(Source: NDRI, Karnal)
Calf Starter:
It is feed mixture with high quality feed ingredients to provide energy and protein to calf.
It should have high digestibility and high protein and energy.
Quality of standard calf starter
a) Protein should be 23-26%
b) DCP – Atleast 18%
c) TDN – 75%
Calf starter is crucial for rumen development and early weaning.
Calf should get it right from 14 day and start with small amount.
