Feeding the calf

In a traditional dairy calf rearing system, calves are fed 10% of their birthweight in milk over two feeds daily i.e. 2 feeds of 2 litres. In comparison, a calf left on the dam will suckle 7-10 times daily and consume much higher volumes of milk.

This Farming Note considers:

• The anatomy of the pre-weaned calf
• How much milk should be fed
• The different methods of delivery
• The different milk sources
• Some common questions when feeding pre-weaned calves

Issued July 2014

About Kingshay Farming Notes

Since 1991 Kingshay has been publishing Farming Notes on issues critical to the success of a modern dairy farm business. These briefings provide dairy farmers, large animal vets, farm consultants and other interested parties with the most important and timely information in a concise two-page format. The information contained in our Farming Notes is written and updated by our experts to ensure accuracy and save you time.

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