During a recent calf study, most of my mornings were spent measuring grain refusals. If one of the calves had “cleaned its plate,” I found myself adopting a wheedling tone akin to praising a toddler for finishing their broccoli and saying, “Good job! You finished your grain!” Daily offerings were adjusted on intake, so I would excitedly add more to the calf’s pail . . . only to find that the next day, it had completely ignored it.
I was intrigued by which calves seemed to inhale their grain and which wouldn’t touch it until their milk allowance began to reduce. Most days, this left me wondering what the trick is to getting calves to want to eat their grain, especially with a high plane of nutrition.
I remember asking my dad once while we were fishing when the best time of day was for fish to bite. He said if he knew that, he’d have written the book on it and retired at 30.
Can we adjust management to influence earlier starter intake or, just like fish biting, is it a subjective measure despite our best efforts?
Off to a good start
In our conversations and in my co-author Bolis’ interactions with producers through her role at Dairy Health in Lowville, N.Y., discussions regarding starter intake and what strategies exist for getting calves interested in starter earlier are frequent. Encouraging solid feed intake as early as possible in the preweaning period is one of the pillars of calf management.
It is well researched that the fermentable carbohydrates present in calf starters are essential to spur rumen development, as they create volatile fatty acids such as butyrate necessary to stimulate rumen papillae growth. Earlier starter intake helps the developing rumen adapt to handle VFA absorption and thus better prepare the calf for weaning.
An important aspect to keep in mind is that many calves will not have a “need” to consume starter until they experience a gap in their energy requirements. Simply put, calves have a daily energy requirement that is largely filled with milk during the first several weeks of life.
For example, a 110-pound, 21-day-old calf fed 2 gallons per day of a 24:24 milk replacer will consume greater than 100% (actually 108.4%) of its metabolizable energy requirement to meet 1.8 pounds of gain per day on an average summer day in New York. If the calf is fed a 21.5:17.5 milk replacer, then it will consume 99.1% of its energy requirement. In both cases, the calf has sufficient energy supply, so it will likely not sense a huge need to consume starter, although the calf may get curious if it sees pen mates or neighboring calves checking it out.
That same calf at 35 days of age weighing 132 pounds and consuming 2 gallons per day of the 24:24 milk replacer will only consume 89.8% of its energy requirement. Likewise, if fed 2 gallons of the 21.5:17.5 milk replacer, the calf will only consume 81.8% of its energy requirement if we expect it to gain 1.8 pounds per day. Therefore, we could expect a calf at this stage to have a growing desire, or “need,” to consume grain to compensate for the lack of energy being received from the milk replacer.
It should be noted that simply restricting milk allowance to try to encourage starter intake at a young age is not an appropriate strategy. Starter intake should be encouraged early on by providing calves access to a palatable starter and allowing them to learn from the older calves. Eventually, the calves will pick up on it as they experience that gap in energy depending on their body size and the nutritional composition of the milk they are receiving.
A step-down weaning method can also enhance this deficit and motivate the calf to begin eating more starter. It is now recommended that small breed calves consume at least 2.75 pounds of starter and that large breed calves consume at least 3.85 pounds prior to weaning.
Appeal to the calf
Another topic of conversation surrounds what is the “best” starter form and nutrient profile to offer. Calf starters come in a variety of options and many nutrient compositions, with a wide range of starch, sugar, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber. While the “best” composition and form is debatable, decades of research have demonstrated a few key priorities.
Arguably, the most important conclusion is that the best calf starter is the one that the calf will eat. Calves appear to prefer sweet tasting flavors; therefore, the use of flavor aids or molasses in starter formulation can be beneficial. While research results on the form of starter are inconsistent, to help address this knowledge gap, the Dairy Health team has planned research projects on commercial sites where they intend to evaluate a low starch versus a high starch formula and measure pre- and postweaned calf performance.
It is important that all calves are offered starter and water from 3 days of age, regardless of the volume or nutrient density of the milk offered. First, this is a requirement by the National FARM 4.0 Program, and second, calves are very inquisitive. At some point, they will get curious and want to see what is in the bucket — either out of their own interest or because they’ve witnessed a neighboring calf do this.
Appropriate starter amounts can be fed according to age to reduce waste. Calves less than 3 weeks could be given a handful or less to stimulate their curiosity, with amounts rising as they consume more. Starter should also be refreshed regularly, especially if it becomes dampened or soiled.
If labor and time permits, tracking intake (starter offered minus starter refused) can be simple with a tabletop scale. One could also offer a measured amount of starter each day in the morning (such as 1 cup or scoop) and estimate what remains the next day. The Clean Plate Club is now accepting new members, and your calves are prime candidates.
