Calf milk replacer

[cull cows]

What’s the best calf milk replacer out there?
Calves fed warm twice a day on teat feeders..don’t want the cheapest I want the best!
I’m feeding Britmilk super xl at the minute as this is what I was recommended but not sure it’s what I want.calves seem to be growing but don’t have a shine on them..they have fresh water pellets and straw available and the milk is being fed at the correct rate

 

[Fergieman]

I'm feeding a 18% oil and 26% Protein 10% Skim and calves are doing well. Feed at 150g/lt

Britmilk Super XL is a 19% Oil and 22.5% Protein

Its a bit of an open ended question as there are many good powders out there and its a case of getting one that suits your system and calves.

 

[cull cows]

I would not say I’m to disappointed with how they are doing...but I’m buying that at 4 weeks old and just feel they could do with something a bit richer to blow them on.
I’m selling them as weaned stirks so want to do them the best I possibly can.

 

[dairydurham]

Dugdale Pro skim here .The best we,ve used with no silt/sediment left in mixing pail as there has been with most others

 

[TheRanger]

I would not say I’m to disappointed with how they are doing...but I’m buying that at 4 weeks old and just feel they could do with something a bit richer to blow them on.
I’m selling them as weaned stirks so want to do them the best I possibly can.

Would be interested to see if there's much profit in that. Have always seen calves on milk as being expensive compared to weaned stirks, considering the most expensive stage of their lives is the milk stage.

 

[TheRanger]

double post

 

[cull cows]

Would be interested to see if there's much profit in that. Have always seen calves on milk as being expensive compared to weaned stirks, considering the most expensive stage of their lives is the milk stage.

It’s like most things nowadays it’s all in buying the right calves at the right price from the right place.

 

[LTH]

We use carrs billington powder, nice stuff

 

[Sparkymark]

Ross. I use Shine from Carrs. I tried others but stick with Shine now.
Got told this week its going up £120 ton from May so will get a couple of pallets in before the rise.

 

[cull cows]

Ross. I use Shine from Carrs. I tried others but stick with Shine now.
Got told this week its going up £120 ton from May so will get a couple of pallets in before the rise.

Cheers Mark I will give them a call in the morning.
How much is a pallet now?

 

[cull cows]

We use carrs billington powder, nice stuff

Shine is it called?

 

[dairydurham]

Carrs always used to be Volac powder in own brand bags

 

[Sparkymark]

They sell both

 

[Thomas]

Shine is it called?

I use Carrs maximum +

 

[LTH]

Shine is it called?

No it’s either bloom or maximum I think just using cows milk at the moment but it’s a purple bag anyway

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

We have been using britmilk calf content. Been pleased with it.

 

[som farmer]

it's difficult to keep 'shine' on calves, to sell at 4 months, once they get that 'stirky' look, price drops, buyers are 'suspicious' of a 'problem'. They need the best food available, nothing stinted whatsoever. We have been rearing our own, to sell at that age, and it can be done. We don't feed milk powder, we acidify and store our colostrum, as we block calve, we have loads, and we keep feeding it, till it runs out, 2 things we always do, delice the calves, that can make them look 'stirky', and we give them a mineral drench. One of the problems feeding milk powder, is that the recommended mixing rate, hasn't changed for years, but not only have calves changed, our knowledge of their nutrition has, in cold inclement weather, calves need more energy. Worth talking to professionals, on that.
To sum it up, everything, from housing to feed, needs to be correct, any check, hits baby calves, and it takes them weeks to catch up, if they ever do. We actually pay someone to do our calves now, which means, regular feeding, at the right temp, water/cake kept fresh, with plenty of bedding. The result, chap that's had our calves before, want's to buy all the beef/bull calves now, even 4 jersey bull calves, we will sell, means the replacement hfr calves, can stay on milk for 3/4 months, poured into troughs.