Calf rearing on cold milk replacer

jamiemcahill

has anyone experience of rearing calves on cold milk replacer? I buy calves from 2-4 weeks of age and always use warm water to mix up milk powder. Thinking of changing systems this year to mixing powder in bulk in cold water to speed up things as I work off farm also. The JFC milk trolley mixer has got me thinking!

_Brian

Have the hot water on a timer and then it's ready when you are.

It's Very hard to mix it cold.

Sam Kade

I used the cold acidified milk replacer years ago mixing it cold and feeding ad lib. Mixing it every 3 days. They drank up to 3 gallons a day on that system. I used whole milk last year which I made yogurt out of, the calves take no notice of cold yogurt milk. You could also make yogurt from milk replacer, works better with a skim based replacer.

RightTurnClyde

Sam Kade wrote: »

I used the cold acidified milk replacer years ago mixing it cold and feeding ad lib. Mixing it every 3 days. They drank up to 3 gallons a day on that system. I used whole milk last year which I made yogurt out of, the calves take no notice of cold yogurt milk. You could also make yogurt from milk replacer, works better with a skim based replacer.

Sam, how were you making yogurt from milk replacer. Is it the same process as wholemilk.
Have been making wholemilk yogurt here for the last few years, with great results. But I want to switch to milk replacer this spring.

Sam Kade

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Sam, how were you making yogurt from milk replacer. Is it the same process as wholemilk.
Have been making wholemilk yogurt here for the last few years, with great results. But I want to switch to milk replacer this spring.

Same process, mix the replacer at normal tempt then add it to a gallon of yogurt and it's ready for feeding 12 hours after or next feed. I tried it with whey based and it worked but the calves looked hungry on it so I switched to skim based then, shine once a day in two feeds. I read somewhere where there was a farmer in Australia feeding lambs on milk replacer but he had problems with bloat so he was advised to turn the replacer into yogurt and the bloat problem stopped and the lambs thrived better also.

tomieen jones

Google kefir grains
these added to milk or milk replacer and you have easy made yougert that will only get better as the days pass !make up enough to feed a week and feed as required

20silkcut

How do ye feed yoghurt?

It would hardly squirt through a peach teat?

Sam Kade

20silkcut wrote: »

How do ye feed yoghurt?

It would hardly squirt through a peach teat?

I use the black teats, just stir the yogurt before feeding and they'll get every last drop.