Effect of enhanced whole-milk feeding in calves on subsequent first-lactation performance

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of enhanced whole-milk (WM) feeding systems in calves from birth to 8wk of age on subsequent first-lactation performance. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design consisting of 2 treatment groups. At birth, 152 Holstein heifer calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: (i) 4L of WM/d or (ii) 8L of WM/d. The calves were bucket fed 2 or 4L of WM twice daily at 0700 and 1600h. Each calf was housed individually in temperature-controlled nurseries and had ad libitum access to water and textured calf starter daily. Calves consumed greater volumes of textured calf starter when fed 4 versus 8L of WM/d. Water intakes mirrored starter intakes, leading to greater water consumption at weaning. Calves reared on 8L of WM/d were heavier at d 56 than calves reared on 4L of WM/d. The average daily gain of the calves offered 8L of WM/d from d 0 to 56 was greater than that of calves offered 4L of WM/d. Structural measurements were significantly greater for calves that consumed 8L of WM/d. The differences observed in withers height and live BW due to WM feeding level were not apparent by 3 and 12mo of age, respectively. Rumen pH was higher in calves that consumed 8L of WM/d than in calves that consumed 4L of WM/d. Whole-milk feeding level did not affect age at first calving or milk-production parameters. These results suggest that enhanced WM feeding improved growth performance until 3mo of age. However, first-lactation results indicated no lactation-performance benefits of increased nutrition and growth performance during the milk-fed period in dairy calves.

Effects of gradual and later weaning ages when feeding high milk replacer rates on growth, textured starter digestibility, and behavior in Holstein calves from 0 to 4 months of age

“…Postweaning ADG and hip width change (2 to 4 mo) were greater for calves fed less than 0.7 kg/d in the current study, resulting in BW and hip widths that did not differ by 4 mo of age. Yunta et al (2015) Yunta et al (2015) or Korst et al (2017), BW responses postweaning were similar to those reported in the current study and by other groups that fed increasing levels of milk or MR (Bach et al, 2013;Hill et al, 2013Hill et al, , 2016aKiezebrink et al, 2015).…”

“…Terré et al (2006) did not measure starter digestibility; however, during the weaning transition (10 d before through 36 d after weaning) calves fed 4 L/d had significantly greater purine derivative excretion compared with calves fed up to 6 L/d, which was correlated with starter intake and suggests greater starter digestibility for calves fed less MR. Purine derivative excretion has been used as an indirect measure of microbial protein flow from the rumen in early-weaned calves and can indicate extent of rumen development (Funaba et al, 1997). Though Terré et al (2006 fed less DM from MR than the current study (MR composition was fairly similar to the current study), other reports have shown decreases in starter intake when calves were fed greater than 6 L/d of milk (Kiezebrink et al, 2015) or 0.7 kg/d of DM from milk replacer (Yunta et al, 2015). Reductions in DM digestion postweaning as a result of feeding more MR came from reduced digestibility of fiber and sugar; this is similar to other recent measurements in the literature (Chapman et al, 2016; al., 2016a,b).…”

“…Effects of gradual and later weaning ages when feeding high milk replacer rates on growth, textured starter digestibility, and behavior in Holstein calves from 0 to 4 months of age (2011) compared a conventional MR-feeding program (21.5% CP, 21.5% fat MR fed on DM basis at 1.2% of BW with 20% CP calf starter) to an intensified program (30.6% CP, 16.1% fat MR fed at 2.1% of BW with 24% CP calf starter) and reported greater BW, withers height, and hip width at 42 d of age for calves on an intensified program; however, BW and hip widths were similar between treatments at 84 and 196 d of age, respectively. Other researchers have reported similar structural growth by 4 mo of age when calves were fed more than 0.7 kg/d of DM from milk (Kiezebrink et al, 2015) or MR (Hill et al, 2013(Hill et al, , 2016a.…”

An Economic Analysis of the Costs Associated with Pre-Weaning Management Strategies for Dairy Heifers

“…A 2016 survey of producers in the United States showed over half of the farms were feeding calves between 4-6 L per day [7]. Recent studies have shown that increasing milk allotment can increase average daily gain (ADG) pre-weaning, result in larger skeletal measurements at weaning, and decrease vocalizations caused by milk deprivation [12,13]. Milk allotments and starter intakes per calf for this model were reflective of experimental data [14].…”

Effect of increasing amounts of milk replacer powder added to whole milk on postweaning performance, reproduction, glucose metabolism, and mammary fat pad in dairy heifers

“…A linear increase (P ≤ 0.05) of hip height measurements was observed at 120 d of age according to the increasing liquid feed TS concentrations; however, no effect was observed after 150 d of age (Figure 1b). Kiezebrink et al (2015)…”