Grober Milk Replacers for Calves

Calf Milk Replacers

WHY GROBER?          

Bio Security

Grober Milk Replacers contain pasteurized ingredients, making it a safe feeding approach to minimizethe spread of disease throughout a herd. Illness in a calf will lover dry matter intake and affect the calf's ability to absorb nutrients. Milk Replacer reduces the risk of production limiting diseases.

Quality Assurance

All raw materials are sampled and tested by Grober's Quality Assurance department. Only food grade materials that are palatable, soluble and processed with care are accepted for use. Grober's computerized milk replacer production provides precise manufacturing. Finished products are tested to ensure that Grober's Milk Replacers meet our quality standards.   
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New Product Information

Pro-Gro is a blend of special ingredients to optimize the gastro-intestinal health and overall performance in calves. -We are adding it to Grober Excel and Grober High Performance calf milk replacers.

  • Encourage strong health and optimal growth
  • Shown to have a positive effect on overall gut health
  • Helps young animals develop a strong immune system

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Producer Objectives

  • Raising replacement dairy heifers with accelerated rates of average daily gain
  • Optimizing rumen development through grain/water intake
  • Improved immunity development through higher dietary levels of protein

Features of Accelerated Feeding

  • Improved early nutrition to stimulate mammary tissue development.
  • Evidence of improved body weight at first calving and increased energy in first lactation milk.
  • Increased immunity – Higher plane of nutrition can improve response of cell-mediated immunity.

.excel_graph

(Pollard and Drackley, 2002 as reported by Drackley in 2008)

Milk Replacer Feeding Schedule

  • Based on 150g/L for a more acelrated growth program.
  • When a calf’s ambient temperature falls below their comfort zone (calf 1-3 weeks below 15-25°C; calf 3 weeks plus below 10°C), extra nutrition should be provided to maintain growth and maintenance requirements
    • minimum 150g extra powder for a less than 3 week old calf
    • minimum 75g extra powder for 3+ week old calf

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Age Amout to feed/feeding Number of feedings/day How much milk repalcer to make/calf/day?
Day 1 (colostrum) 1.3 – 2L 3 None -feed colostrum or colostrum replacer
Day 2 – Day 7 2L 3 6L total solution (900g powder)
Week 2 3.5L 3 7L total solution (1050g powder)
Week 3 – 6 3.5L 2 7L total solution (1050g powder)
Week 7 – 8 3.5L 1 begin weening 3.5L total solution (525g powder)

Feeding Management Tips

  • Multiple feedings/day recommended to stabilize pH of the abomasum
  • Encourage a strong suckling reflex early on so that milk is absorbed into the abomasum and digested
  • Grain (and water) should be introduced early on. Allow calves to explore their environment and taste different feedstuffs
  • Clean, dry bedding will optimize growth and enhance any feeding program
  • Any abnormal events (illness, dehorning, vaccination etc) should be followed up with a greater volume of milk replacer at the next meal – calves will burn more energy when stressed. Sucking will help calm calves and nutrition will help replenish energy reserves

Acidified Feeding

  • Objective is to lower bacterial counts in milk left standing
  • Facilitates high intakes of milk at an early age (in ad-lib systems)

Machine Feeding

  • Calf feeding machines are a useful tool designed to provide multiple feedings/day.
  • Warm milk replacer provided through the machines has been thoroughly mixed for even distribution of nutrients in the solution.
  • Machines still need management to ensure that they are working optimally.
  • Grober commits itself to providing technical support for your machine to provide optimal nutrition for your calves.