milk replacer and calf crunch

jersey101 · 14-12-2013 11:22AM #1

What are lads using this spring. Id say i need to buy a pallet of milk replacer and a half tonne bag of crunch to start. Any one got prices?

delaval · 14-12-2013 11:29AM

We'll probably go with Shine OAD and Gain Goldgrain.

Will introduce Startacalf crunch for first 2 weeks and then to ad lib Goldgrain and straw till weaning

I have no prices yet. First priority is to re organise housing as the North wind didn't do us any good last spring.

I am going to put more penning in a few loose sheds and try to get calves to sheltered paddocks ASAP

Timmaay · 14-12-2013 11:43AM

I'd say there won't be much milk replacer bought this spring with the superlevy! I use to get bags off magneta direct for 40euros, they don't seem to have them anymore, might be just too early in the year.

jaymla627 · 14-12-2013 11:45AM

Using grennans wonderthrive with lungbooster here its 40 euro a bag would rate it as the best milk replacer ever used around our place wouldnt touch volac/shine again having used them the past couple of years.

jersey101 · 14-12-2013 12:00PM

anyone use maverick? Coming in at a good price in bulk down in the port in waterford. I uswd alpuro last spring was good stuff but i didnt really like the way it mixed up. Did OAD on the autumn born heifers for the first time here this year. No comparison to twice aday fed calves. I have to heifers here at the minute. One started on twice a day and is 8 weeks old now and the other one gas been on OAD since a week of age. 4 week old obe is as big as the older one

delaval · 14-12-2013 01:15PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

Using grennans wonderthrive with lungbooster here its 40 euro a bag would rate it as the best milk replacer ever used around our place wouldnt touch volac/shine again having used them the past couple of years.

Is that Grennans of Rath?

Lungbooster? Is it medicated?

loveta · 14-12-2013 01:34PM

Any of you guys feeding OAD? Was at a meeting there about 2-3 weeks ago there was a vet talking, IMO he was sh#t hot you could hear a pin drop in the room when he was speaking he was so interesting but on the calf rearing he said OAD was going to be banned as calves could not digest enough milk out of one feed to do them and 2 litres morn/evening not enough either 3 lts min per feed and more depending on the calf size...

dzer2 · 14-12-2013 01:39PM

loveta wrote: »

Any of you guys feeding OAD? Was at a meeting there about 2-3 weeks ago there was a vet talking, IMO he was sh#t hot you could hear a pin drop in the room when he was speaking he was so interesting but on the calf rearing he said OAD was going to be banned as calves could not digest enough milk out of one feed to do them and 2 litres morn/evening not enough either 3 lts min per feed and more depending on the calf size...

This is correct I would feed 3 times a day to the biggest calves. The rate depends on the weight of the calf and age as I have them weaned at 12 weeks

jersey101 · 14-12-2013 01:46PM

loveta wrote: »

Any of you guys feeding OAD? Was at a meeting there about 2-3 weeks ago there was a vet talking, IMO he was sh#t hot you could hear a pin drop in the room when he was speaking he was so interesting but on the calf rearing he said OAD was going to be banned as calves could not digest enough milk out of one feed to do them and 2 litres morn/evening not enough either 3 lts min per feed and more depending on the calf size...

how are calves turning out better then on OAD?

jaymla627 · 14-12-2013 02:14PM

delaval wrote: »

Is that Grennans of Rath?

Lungbooster? Is it medicated?

Yeah grennans of rath, its some type of feed additive can be got in their calf crunch to, got hit with ibr/crypto in the spring was using shine switched to this and it turned the calves inside out, its really palatable and sweet you"d nearly drink it yourself.

funny man · 14-12-2013 02:22PM

loveta wrote: »

Any of you guys feeding OAD? Was at a meeting there about 2-3 weeks ago there was a vet talking, IMO he was sh#t hot you could hear a pin drop in the room when he was speaking he was so interesting but on the calf rearing he said OAD was going to be banned as calves could not digest enough milk out of one feed to do them and 2 litres morn/evening not enough either 3 lts min per feed and more depending on the calf size...

who's the vet

loveta · 14-12-2013 04:10PM

funny man wrote: »

who's the vet

He would be a very well know guy in the bmw area i better not name him publicly on here without his permission

trixi2011 · 15-12-2013 12:56AM

calves seem to eat more meal and have better rumen development on a oad system. Know quite a few farms going oad from birth and getting realy good results.

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 01:11AM

trixi2011 wrote: »

calves seem to eat more meal and have better rumen development on a oad system. Know quite a few farms going oad from birth and getting realy good results.

Switched to once a day 3 years ago and there is no comparasion.oad calves streets ahead,they are healthier,eat more meal and straw .calves are built up to 750 grammes in 3.5 litres and they fly in it.minimal scour problems also.did it first year just to save time as help was scarce but was so impressed at how calves took to it I continued..3 days beastibgs,I week of 300 grammes powder twice daily.then on to once a day and I build them into 750 grammes by 3 weeks old

jersey101 · 15-12-2013 01:35AM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Switched to once a day 3 years ago and there is no comparasion.oad calves streets ahead,they are healthier,eat more meal and straw .calves are built up to 750 grammes in 3.5 litres and they fly in it.minimal scour problems also.did it first year just to save time as help was scarce but was so impressed at how calves took to it I continued..3 days beastibgs,I week of 300 grammes powder twice daily.then on to once a day and I build them into 750 grammes by 3 weeks old

im giving mine 1000 grammes in 3l

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 01:43AM

jersey101 wrote: »

im giving mine 1000 grammes in 3l

That's a kg of milk powder in 3 Ltrs,how is it mixing ????.750 to 800 grammes is the max I'd go to.volac rep advised to go no higher .

Sharpshooter82 · 15-12-2013 02:16AM

Was thinking of going OAD this year myself as help will be in short supply when the next batch of calves come in. Be feeding in the morning, would that make a difference?

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 02:20AM

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Was thinking of going OAD this year myself as help will be in short supply when the next batch of calves come in. Be feeding in the morning, would that make a difference?

Don't matter what time of day you do it as long as its in and around same time every day.usually do it myself around 12 o clock after foddering milking,breakfast etc Is done

Sharpshooter82 · 15-12-2013 02:22AM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Don't matter what time of day you do it as long as its in and around same time every day.usually do it myself around 12 o clock after foddering milking,breakfast etc Is done

Yeah the snag with me is it looks like my duties are going from 12 hrs to 24 hrs so I'd be able to feed early in the morning on the day I'm working but not possible to feed again as I wouldn't be around and no one else around next year either

Damo810 · 15-12-2013 02:32AM

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Yeah the snag with me is it looks like my duties are going from 12 hrs to 24 hrs so I'd be able to feed early in the morning on the day I'm working but not possible to feed again as I wouldn't be around and no one else around next year either

Could you not just hold off and buy some lighter weanlings? Get them onto grass and meal? It's not just the milk but watching for colds/scours/infections with sucks too. Hardly ideal if your working long shifts..

jersey101 · 15-12-2013 10:44AM

mahoney_j wrote: »

That's a kg of milk powder in 3 Ltrs,how is it mixing ????.750 to 800 grammes is the max I'd go to.volac rep advised to go no higher .

sorry im wrong mahoney 500g is all im giving them. So i could push it up to 750 then?

jomoloney · 15-12-2013 11:07AM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Switched to once a day 3 years ago and there is no comparasion.oad calves streets ahead,they are healthier,eat more meal and straw .calves are built up to 750 grammes in 3.5 litres and they fly in it.minimal scour problems also.did it first year just to save time as help was scarce but was so impressed at how calves took to it I continued..3 days beastibgs,I week of 300 grammes powder twice daily.then on to once a day and I build them into 750 grammes by 3 weeks old

what brand are using, looks like help might be slack here this spring also

got quota issues as well, so most likely will have to feed milk

Sharpshooter82 · 15-12-2013 11:47AM

Damo810 wrote: »

Could you not just hold off and buy some lighter weanlings? Get them onto grass and meal? It's not just the milk but watching for colds/scours/infections with sucks too. Hardly ideal if your working long shifts..

Thought about that too but my mind ain't made up yet. It's just my system suits the sucks

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 12:56PM

jomoloney wrote: »

what brand are using, looks like help might be slack here this spring also

got quota issues as well, so most likely will have to feed milk

Used maverick for last 2 years but might give shine oad a go this spring as I know a few using it and theyvare well impressed.from memory I think I gave 41 euro a bag for it

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 12:58PM

jersey101 wrote: »

sorry im wrong mahoney 500g is all im giving them. So i could push it up to 750 then?

Yep no bother jersey,just don't do it over a short time span.what I described above was basically what a volac rep advised me.it works very well

jersey101 · 15-12-2013 01:11PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Yep no bother jersey,just don't do it over a short time span.what I described above was basically what a volac rep advised me.it works very well

ye i put them up to 600 this morning. Ill put it up to 750 by friday id say

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 01:18PM

jersey101 wrote: »

ye i put them up to 600 this morning. Ill put it up to 750 by friday id say

Should be fine as long as its a gradual increases cause u know calves and digestive upsets etc.

mahoney_j · 15-12-2013 01:19PM

jersey101 wrote: »

ye i put them up to 600 this morning. Ill put it up to 750 by friday id say

Should be fine as long as its a gradual increases cause u know calves and digestive upsets etc.

john p mc g · 15-12-2013 02:27PM

Im using volac 400 grams per day does dat sound very little thats what it says in bag or am i reading it wrong

Sharpshooter82 · 15-12-2013 03:42PM

john p mc g wrote: »

Im using volac 400 grams per day does dat sound very little thats what it says in bag or am i reading it wrong

i used that the last two years and worked fine but might try the grennans stuff suggested above this year

John_F · 15-12-2013 03:52PM

research says as long as the calf gets the nutriets it needs, the amount of feeds doesn;t really matter. where once a day falls on its knees is farmers not checking the calves as lower opportunity for observation i.e. you only see the calf drinking half the time you would with twice a day. consistency is key.

How many litres are ye getting into the calf?

looking at the volac brochure here:

ONCE A DAY BUCKET FEEDNG

Days in| Litres fed | litres fed
the unit| (am) | (pm)

1-2 | 1 | 1
3 | 1.5 | 1.5
4 | 1.75 | 1.75
5-6 | 2.25 | 0
7-weaning | 2.75 | 0

the volac thing says twice a day feeding means 115mins/calf where ad once a day is 70 mins per calf (til weaning). automatic feeding is down as 20mins per calf.

milk replacer and calf crunch

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