Fortifying cow’s milk

Using calf milk replacer

Calf milk powders can be used to fortify whole cow’s milk, which can be an effective way to increase the protein content of whole milk, reduce the fat content and add in vitamins and minerals that are often lacking in whole milk.

Whole milk is the equivalent to 125 grams of calf milk replacer powder per litre. This is important to keep in mind when adding calf milk replacer to whole milk, to ensure that you get the correct total amount of energy into calves.

Tip when using whey powder

When fortifying with a whey based calf milk replacer, do not add more than 250 grams of the whey powder to 4 litres of milk, as this can interfere with curding in the abomasum.

How do I mix in the calf milk replacer powder?

There are three options when mixing calf milk replacer in with whole milk: 1. Mix calf milk replacer at the usual rate of 125g/L with water (or at the rate specified on the bag), then add to the cow’s milk.

2. Mix the powder with a small amount of hot water before adding to the cow’s milk.

3. Introduce the powder directly into the cow’s milk and mix it well (watch out for blocked teats if doing it this way). Options two and three can work well, as the resultant reduced volume of milk (due to the reduced amount of water added to the whole milk during the mixing process) will encourage the intake of hard feed and enhance rumen development.