Heifer calves fed a transition milk replacer in their first 10 days of life produced a remarkable 947L more milk in their first lactation compared to a similar group fed a skim-based milk replacer, new research has shown.
A recent trial at Harper Adams University investigated the long-term effects on Holstein Friesian heifer calves from feeding a transition milk replacer.
It involved 36 animals, evenly split into two groups according to their birthweight and dam parity. All received 4L of pasteurised good quality colostrum at birth.
In their first 10 days, one group was fed Transformula, a transition milk replacer manufactured by Bonanza Calf Nutrition, and the other a skim-based calf milk replacer (CMR), as the feed plan in Table 1 shows.
Table 1: Harper Adams University trial carried out by Dr. Emma Bleach and Carrie Gauld.
The study followed all the animals through to their first lactation – and the results were astounding.
On average, heifers in the transition milk group produced 8,625L/head in that lactation (See Figure 1), or 617kg of milk solids (See Figure 2), compared to the standard CMR group who produced 7,678L/head at 532kg milk solids.
Figure 1: Effect of feeding transition milk to calves on their first lactation milk yield
That equates to an additional 947L of milk and 85kg of butterfat and protein.
Dr. Amanda Dunn, of Bonanza Calf Nutrition, calculates that at current prices, there was a 100:1 payback from feeding Transformula.
The trial showed no significant differences in growth rates or health scores in the two groups of calves during the pre-weaning period and at weaning.
However, in a recent French trial, when Transformula was fed for the first three weeks, calves were 5kg heavier (see figure 3) and healthier than calves fed a high skim calf milk replacer, she added.
Transition milk-fed calves grew at 0.63kg/day and the control group at 0.61kg/day.
“These findings indicate that although feeding transition milk for the first 10 days of life did not impact the calves growth during the milk feeding period it did have a positive effect on their long term development in terms of milking performance as an adult cow,’’ said Dr. Dunn.
Transition milk
Heifers in both groups had a similar calving age, which was 26 months. That is much earlier than the UK average, which a 2018 study (Eastham et al., 2018) showed was 29.1 months.
40% of heifers in that study were in fact 30 months or older at time of first calving.
Figure 2: Effect of feeding transition milk to calves on their first lactation milk fat and protein yield
Dr. Dunn said a lower age at first calving has been associated with better reproductive performance, increased survivability and reduced somatic cell counts.
“First lactation milk production tends to be much lower among younger heifers, but lifetime daily milk yield significantly greater.
“Every dairy farmer should be aiming for a heifer’s milk yield to be approximately 80% of their second lactation yield which would leave the transition milk-fed heifers in this study producing well over 10,000L of milk in their second lactation,” she said.
The bioactive components found in transition milk play a huge role in the development of the baby calf and are exactly what nature intended to set up the foundation for health and development for future performance in the milking herd.
But not all farms can feed their own transition milk because of the risk of transmitting Johne’s or mycoplasma, or issues with storage; in situations where there is inadequate storage, large volumes of transition milk are often stored in buckets from one feed to the next but bacteria flourishes in that environment.
As a result, calves are then fed a bacterial soup.
Pasteurisation is an option, but it is unknown as to whether it can undo poor hygiene practice and may also have a negative effect on the beneficial bioactive ingredients found within fresh transition milk.
Some herds don’t produce enough either – often there are insufficient cows calved at a given time to supply the quantity of transition milk required to feed to calves for this length of time.
Dr. Dunn said that Transformula offers the perfect consistent alternative to a cow’s own transition milk.
Figure 3: French Transformula Trial 2023
ADLWG for the first four weeks, control calves were fed a high skim calf milk (23% CP, 19% fat) after colostrum. Both groups achieved 800g/day growth from four weeks to weaning.
