Weaning calves: starter intake and when to add forage
Wean calves once they eat 1.5 kg of starter a day for three days in a row. Offer fresh calf starter from week one, with clean water beside it, to get the rumen papillae growing. Bring in chopped soft grass hay around week seven to keep the rumen buffered, and keep each calf's weaning date, notes and ration in HerdMobile.
Compiled from open-access scientific sources.
How much starter shows a calf is ready to wean?
A calf is ready to wean when it eats 1.2 to 1.5 kg of dry calf starter a day for three days running. NASEM dairy guidelines explain that starter ferments in the rumen to butyric and propionic acids, and these drive the growth of the rumen papillae. Keep clean water beside the starter bucket from the first week of life, because calves that drink more eat more dry feed. Hang the bucket at brisket height and top it up with fresh starter every day so it stays crisp and smells good. Once intake reaches the target, cut milk back over seven days and keep starter in front of the calf at all times.
When should calves start on dry forage?
Offer clean, fine-stemmed grass hay or chopped alfalfa from the seventh week to build up the muscle of the rumen wall. Forage given too early dilutes energy, but 100 to 200 grams of chopped hay at eight weeks stops starter clumping and keeps rumen pH healthy. A starter with 18 percent crude protein, offered with tasty dry forage, makes for a smooth change of diet. Check dung and leftover feed every morning. Put weaned calves into even-sized groups of six to eight so the smaller ones still get easy access to the feed trough.
How does HerdMobile help with weaning records?
Open the calf in HerdMobile and note the weaning date, the weaning weight and the starter it is on, right in its history. Enter your own farm feeds, compare their nutrient values in the feed library and work out a balanced post-weaning ration on your phone for the calf's liveweight. Log starter purchases and use so the feed store never runs dry; HerdMobile warns you when stock runs low. Health notes, treatments and reminders are in the same calf history, so you can check that every calf keeps growing well through weaning.
Questions from the farm
How much starter should a calf eat before the milk stops?
Aim for 1.2 to 1.5 kg of starter a day for three days before you take the milk away completely.
What crude protein level suits a calf starter?
Use a starter with 18 to 20 percent crude protein in the dry matter, and keep clean water beside it.
How does HerdMobile support the weaning period?
HerdMobile keeps weaning dates, weights and notes in each calf's history and works out a balanced grower ration from your own feeds.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
