Accelerated Calf Programs

Very good management needs to be adopted when taking on any type of calf program. To achieve adequate growth rates, traditional feeding programs use milk replacers containing well balanced nutrients to provide energy and protein for growth but fed in combination with increasing starter intakes as a calf advances in age. Whereas with accelerated calf programs, young calves receive substantially more milk to support improved growth rates and attain faster and more efficient gains by developing new but more intensive liquid-feeding programs. Using an accelerated calf program followed by ultra intensive feeding and management does result in calves having greater height, lean tissue, and body weights at a younger age than those from conventional programs. However, if such aggressive post weaning nutrition programs are not adapted, the potential for reduced growth after weaning actually increases with accelerated programs. Accelerated calf feed

programs are not a silver bullet, they require excellent management to realise their maximum full benefit.