What to look for in the right milk replacer for your calves

Ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy explains the aspects that matter most when picking the right milk replacer for your farm.

Milk replacers can be divided into two groups: whey-based powders and skim-based powders, depending on which provides the main source of dairy protein.

These days, choosing a calf milk replacer can be a minefield for producers with so many available. This market is easily divided into two groups: whey-based powders and skim-based powders, depending on which provides the main source of dairy protein. Choosing the right powder for your system is vital not only to the productivity of pre-weaning calves but also to the lifetime performance and profitability of each animal.

Establishing the calf’s requirements