Is instant milk OK as milk replacer?

[ARose4Heaven]

We have been giving our bottle calves Instant milk as milk replacer, but they aren't too interested in grain or grass. They are over a month old now. We have lost 2 to pneumonia...I think that was the problem anyway, they just got thin and were weak and foaming at the mouth. We still have one that seems thinner than normal for a holstein steer. The others appear lively and are starting to nibble at grass a little.

Should we switch over to the medicated milk replacer? Hubby gave them all a shot of pennicillin this morning.

 

[Thewife]

Do you mean instant people milk?

Personally, I (try too) only feed medicated "milk" milk replacer, no soy.
It pays to buy the good stuff!

 

[amysflock]

I think you should switch to a medicated (or non-medicated) calf milk replacer. Instant milk for people is nowhere near nutritious enough for growing calves.

 

[Imissmygirls]

Isn't almost all instant milk low fat? Normal cow's milk is 3.5 % butterfat and more -- up to 4.5 for Jerseys. You really can't compare it even to whole store milk which is 3.25%.
You need milk replacer that is high protein. Even among the milk replacers, there are quality differences and Milk replacer is the one thing you don't want to skimp on quality. It just doesn't pay for calf health.
Also, how can you afford to buy instant milk for milk replacer? How much are you feeding? Calves should be drinking a gallon a day split into feedings. Instant people milk is way too costly-- even if it WAS the right stuff for calves!

 

[ARose4Heaven]

I got a 6 gallon pail of instant milk at an auction for $5. It was one of those hermetically sealed things designed for survivalists to last 25 years or more. It did not say LowFat, and listed a 20% protien count, so I used it.

But now it is all gone, and I could not find any more instant milk that did not say Lowfat. But milk replacer costs nearly $50! That was a bit of a sticker shock after my auction bargain.

We did go out yesterday and buy the medicated milk replacer. Only to find half of the bag out in the yard this morning. Apparently, dogs like it too. Lesson learned. It will be kept in a covered bucket hung from the rafters from now on! Too darned expensive to let the dogs have it!

I know nothing about raising cattle. Obviously. But my husband is at work all the time, so I got the crash course in livestock. He was born with the calves...Many, many years ago. I am like a little kid learning all this stuff. He just shakes his head at some of the stupid stuff I pull. EEErrrgg.

 

[ksalvagno]

Well, considering he is at work all day and you are the one taking care of these guys, I give you a lot of credit. The bigger animals like cows and horses scare me and I don't think I could take care of them. There is added vitamins and stuff in the more expensive milk replacer for animals that I would think most animals need. My milk replacer has a minimum of 24% protein but it is a multi species formula.

I can tell you that even with reading a lot of books, there is a whole heck of a lot to learn when you bring the animals home and take care of them yourself. Good luck with your calves.

 

[Cara]

Powdered milk (for humans) is absolutely not ok for calves, that is why they got skinny. Cattle have poor respiratory systems, and usually get infections when they are under the weather. Feed them right and they won't be underweight or suffer from pneumonia.

The box of powdered milk from our kitchen cupboard has the following nutritional facts:

Total Fat 0%
Cholesterol 1%
Sodium 5%
Potassium 11%
Total Carbohydrate 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 12g
Protein 8g

Total Calories 80
Calories from Fat 0

Our bag of milk replacer reads as follows:

Crude protein, min.24.00%
Lysine, min2.10%
Crude fat, min....24.00%
Crude fiber, max..0.15%
Moisture, max...6.00%
Calcium, min.1.00%
Calcium, max1.25%
Phosphorus, min..0.80%
Sodium, min..0.50%
Sodium, max.1.00%
Copper, min10 ppm
Copper, max...15 ppm
Selenium, min0.3 ppm
Zinc, min120 ppm
Vitamin A, min30,000 IU/lb
Vitamin D3, min.5,000 IU/lb
Vitamin E, min.115 IU/lb

A calf just cannot survive on powdered milk, let alone thrive. Milk replacer is expensive, that's why the calves are so cheap. We raise ours on goat's milk now that we have our own goats, which in time is a saving (once the goats have paid themselves off!).

There may be some permanent stunting issues if they haven't had the right nutrition at such a critical period.

 

[Imissmygirls]

I've heard milk replacer is closer to $80 a bag around here.
FWIW, I was always told that calves would also starve on pasteurized milk. It kills the good belly bugs that they need to thrive.

Are you feeding grain? You shouold be giving them free choice calf starter up to 5 # per head per day. Plus after the first month ( sooner for some people) you should offer high quality alfalfa hay- 3rd or 4th cutting if you can, unless you have fresh growing young grass.
The most $$$ part of raising a calf is the first 6 months. You just pour money into them for quality food at that stage. They wean from milk at 8-10 weeks, but the grain keeps mounting up. You shouldn't start cutting back on quality of hay until the 6 month part and then you should switch to decent grass hay. Limit the grain to max of 5 # a day and switch to grower-- which is also a bit cheaper.

 

[kstaven]

The problem with pasteurized milk is that the lactase is destroyed in the process which is what allows an animal to break down the lactose. This is much the same problem that many people have with dairy. A true lactose intolerant person is sick from store milk and yet can drink raw milk straight from the cow without issue. If a person still has problems then they really where not lactose intolerant in the first place. The real culprit was milk casein.

The second problem with pasteurized milk and animals is that the proteins have been oxidized, so much of it is no longer biologically available.

 

[jhm47]

Saving money by feeding a nutritionally deficient product like nonfat dry milk to calves is defeating the purpose. Yes, you saved a few $ on feed, but you lost several of the calves. And now, the calves that are left might be stunted, and may never grow to their potential. Those $50 - $80 bags of quality milk replacer don't look quite so expensive now do they?

So, the problem is how to rectify this bad situation. First of all, get the remaining calves on the absolute BEST quality milk replacer you can find. Give them this product at least until each calf is eating 5 - 6 lbs of calf starter each day. Be sure to also include good quality alfalfa free-choice. Make sure that the calves are not being robbed by parasites (internal or external) by using a parasiticide.

You might come out of this okay, but you must get those calves on a proper nutritional diet, and it must be done immediately.

As to feeding pasturized milk---no problem. I use a small amount of it all the time when I have a calf or two that is recovering from scours. Be sure not to use "reduced fat", or you will be defeating your purpose. I start calves on 100% whole fat pasturized milk, for a day or two, then mix 25% milk replacer in the next two feedings, then 50% milk replacer, and so on till they are getting pure milk replacer. Costs a bit, but the alternative is losing calves.

Good luck!