Milky Way: Concentrated calf milk
Be 100% sure your calves get 100% milk protein
Why milk protein matters
Good quality skim milk powder and buttermilk contain over 30% protein. When processed and dried with calf feeding in mind, these ingredients are unmatched in terms of supporting calf health – especially in the first 3-4 weeks of life.
Keeping calves healthy during the early stages of their lives allows them to develop into healthy, thriving weaned calves. This factor is probably responsible for more than 95% of the difference in heifer milk yield further down the line. This statement has been backed up by a recent review of calf rearing practises and trials (A. J. Heinrichs et al., 2016).
The Milky Way advantage
While skim milk and buttermilk are expensive, Milky Way makes smart use of them. By combining the right quantities with specific whey ingredients and a range of plant oils, Milky Way can be fed at lower levels than standard calf milk replacers. Feeding Milky Way improves calf health and dry feed intakes reducing the cost and labour involved in rearing calves.
The only sure way to feed milk ingredients
What is the right level of milk protein to feed?
We recommend feeding 100 – 120g per day of the right kind of protein is far better than higher levels for calf health. More is not better.
Feeding excessive protein increases calf rearing problems:
- Calves must use energy to process protein.
- They also need energy to fight disease.
- On a high-protein diet, calves can’t divert this energy when required.
| Treatment | Intake/day (g) | Calf mortality (%) | Calves requiring antibiotics (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% Crude protein (100% milk protein) | 454 | 8.1 | 47.8 |
| 27% Crude protein (100% milk protein) | 681 | 23 | 61.4 |
The problem with plant protein
Commercially viable high protein calf milk replacers always contain plant protein. This can make the situation potentially far worse. UK and European studies on high protein milk replacer have failed to find any benefit in feeding this type of product whether you have heifers producing 5000L or 12000L.
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