Powdered milk for calves: how to dilute per 1 liter of water and proportions, the best milk replacer

White milk replacer - artificial mixtures on a protein basis, enriched with vitamins, microelements, fats, antibiotics, intended for feeding young cattle. The use of powdered milk for calves is a forced measure on livestock farms, used in case of problems with lactation in a cow or, if necessary, to save money on feeding young animals. The artificial product is close to natural in composition, convenient for storage and transportation.

What is in powdered milk

Cattle breeders receive the main profit from the sale of dairy products.But almost 10% of the milk produced by cows is sucked out by calves. In order to save production, in order to increase the percentage of products sold, farmers feed young cattle with a dry analogue. Substitutes are cheaper than cow's milk, while they contain all the substances necessary for the full development of calves.

Based on a quality analogue of whole cow's milk:

• whey left over from fermented milk production;
• back - separated skimmed milk;
• buttermilk - low-fat cream separated during the production of butter.

Powdered milk may contain additional ingredients:

• lactose - milk sugar;
• casein - milk protein;
• lactoferrin is a multifunctional protein contained in the secretion of the mammary glands;
• other milk protein analogues (plasma, wheat, soy, flaxseed, egg protein);
• vegetable or animal fat (palm oil, soybean oil, melted lard);
• immunoglobulins - blood plasma antibodies;
• organic and saturated fatty acids;
• vitamins (A, C, E, D, K, group B);
• mineral elements (potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, selenium and others);
• growth promoters;
• antibiotics;
• probiotics, lactic acid bacteria;
• yeast;
• wheat flour;
• shit - crushed grain;
• premixes;
• blood;
• sapropel - lake algal silt.

The specific list of additives is determined by the brand of products and the purpose for a certain age category of young animals. The formula that determines the energy value of artificial milk is shown in the table in comparison with a natural cow product.

fats124-6 carbs fiber

Components	WMS, %	Natural milk, %
proteins	12-20	25
70-75 (before dissolving)	36-38
0.2

Benefits and harms

Dry milk substitutes are profitable and convenient, which is why they are becoming more and more in demand.

The popularity of milk replacer is due to its useful properties:

• maintaining the he alth and immunity of calves;
• saturation of the growing body with the optimal amount of vitamins and minerals;
• increasing the survival rate of newborn offspring;
• eliminating the possibility of infection of the calf (which is possible through the udder of a sick cow).

Harmful to the he alth of the calf is possible in the following cases:

• if you feed the animal with an improperly prepared composition;
• if the expiration date of the product is not observed (it is short);
• when blood enters the composition of a mixture of dubious quality (if the component is taken from the body of cattle infected with an infectious disease, then there is a high probability of killing all young animals);
• if the composition contains cheap substances of plant origin (may adversely affect the delicate digestive tract of the calf).

How to choose milk replacer

Dry product is made from whole milk by drying. Calf substitute is available fat-free and whole. Both types of milk are balanced in composition, have a list of components practically indistinguishable from a natural product, the difference lies only in the concentration of nutrients, the content of additional substances.

There are products for feeding calves with different fat content on the market. Dry mixes with 10, 15, 20% fat content are most in demand. In a quality product, proteins should prevail over fats. According to the protein basis, milk replacers are divided into:

• buttermilk;
• buttermilk whey;
• enriched (based on whey, vegetable protein - soy, wheat);
• fermented (based on fermented whey, acidophilus and propionic bacteria);
• sour-milk dry (based on lactobacillus acidophilus).

Cold milk replacer from modern manufacturers are divided into 3 categories by consistency:

1. Dry - powder, diluted with water for drinking.
2. Concentrated - similar to powder. But more saturated with nutrients, useful additives. Therefore, a smaller portion of powder is required to obtain a solution.
3. Liquid - ready-made substitutes based on fat-free whey.

On large farms, it is more convenient to use powder preparations. The liquid mixture is less stored, it cannot be purchased for a large population. It is not worth buying a cheap low-quality product for the sake of savings. It probably contains soy flour, which can cause diarrhea and disruption of the digestive tract in a month-old calf.

In what proportions and how is it bred

In order to properly dilute the product, the dosage recommended for calves of a certain age, indicated in the table, should be observed.

to 31:82,33-51:83 6-7 8 -12

Calf age , weeks	Concentration of solution (ratio of mass of powder to water)	Norm per individual, liters
1:9	3
1:10	3

The indicated proportions are standard, but before diluting the powder, you should carefully read the manufacturer's recommendations on the package.

Instructions for use may differ from the standard, due to the composition of a particular milk powder.

For example, a product containing more fat causes diarrhea in a calf at a standard dosage, and when drinking milk with a reduced content of nutrients, the microflora of the digestive tract can be disturbed.

Preparation of powdered milk is simple, you need:

1. Take fresh and clean water.
2. Prepare the solution in glasses and bottles previously disinfected with boiling water.
3. To prepare the reverse, divide the water: heat 2/3 to about 50 °C, leave 1/3 at room temperature.
4. Dissolve the powder in warm water, stir until smooth.
5. Pour the second part of water into the concentrate to make a solution with a temperature of 38-40 °C.
6. Give the calf immediately after cooking.

Do not dilute the dry mixture in cold water and then heat it, otherwise the powder will stick together into lumps. It is unacceptable to overheat the liquid, otherwise the proteins that make up the milk will coagulate.

Rules for using milk replacer for calves at home

If a cow cannot give colostrum after lambing, then the calf can be fed milk replacer from the first days of life. As an addition to the diet, milk replacer can be used when the cub is at least 10 days old. Until that time, it is important for the calf to receive maternal colostrum, saturated with vitamins and amino acids - substances that form immunity.

The daily intake for a 2-week-old cub is 7 liters of milk (1 kg of dry product). From the age of one month, the daily portion becomes, respectively, 5 liters (750 g). The nutritional value of 1.1 kg of dry matter corresponds to 10 liters of cow's milk. When diluted, 110 g of powder is taken for each liter of water. There are 2 options for feeding the calf: with late (12 weeks) separation from the mother and with early (5 weeks). With late separation, the following feeding scheme is optimal:

• first week - 5 liters of maternal colostrum per day and the minimum dosage of the substitute;
• 2 week - 6 l milk and 7 l milk replacer;
• 5 week - minimum portion of milk, artificial product - 8 l;
• 6 months - 6L substitute;
• 12 months - 4 y.

Algorithm for drinking early separation:

• first week - 3-6 liters of maternal colostrum per day, 6 liters of milk replacer;
• 2 weeks - 6 liters of milk and a substitute;
• from 3 to 8 weeks - exclusion of milk from the diet, the portion of the substitute is unchanged;
• 3 months - exclusion of dairy products from the diet, transition of the animal to adult food.

During milk feeding, a calf eats 30-42 kg of powdered milk.

Popular brands

Cattle breeding is a developed and promising industry, so cow's milk substitutes are in demand on the market. Products manufactured by domestic and foreign companies differ in the main protein component, the presence of animal and vegetable additives, and the cost. The leaders in the production of high-quality dry substitutes are Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Products manufactured in these countries are shown in the table.

OptilacNetherlandsfor 3 week old calves Foccamel Kalvolac 16 Milkrem Plus Joosten Milk Prodlak

Product name	Production country	Destination
Eurolack	Netherlands	complete milk replacer
Belgium	from birth to 3 months of life
Netherlands	from birth to 2.5 -month-old
France	from 15 -day-old
Netherlands	s 4 days of life
Netherlands	from 5 days of life

Domestic companies also produce good products for feeding calves. Rating of the best Russian brands of powdered milk:

1. Mologa (JSC Moloko, Tver Region).
2. Kormilak (OOO Tagris, Moscow).
3. Kalvomilk (ZAO Mustang Feeding Technologies, Smolensk Region).
4. Milkovit (LLC Spectr, St. Petersburg).
5. Prolak 16 (Dairy Standard LLC, Saratov).

Prolac 16 dry product should be diluted according to the standard proportion, and not according to the instructions indicated on the packaging bag, otherwise the calf may develop diarrhea. The products of foreign manufacturers are more expensive because they contain vitamins, minerals, premixes.

The quality of domestic powdered milk is improving, many brands have almost caught up in quality with their foreign counterparts.

Mistakes when using

The most common mistakes farmers make when using dry mixes for feeding calves are:

1. For the sake of economy, they buy cheap products with vegetable proteins and fats, which are poorly digested in the digestive tract of calves.
2. The temperature of the milk solution is not respected (use a cooking thermometer).
3. Violate the dosage of the powder (it is advisable to use a kitchen scale).
4. Do not follow the drinking regimen (after 30 minutes after feeding, the calf should be given water to better absorb the concentrated product).
5. Feed calves from a bucket, not from a bottle with a nipple (when the calf does not suck, but laps, not enough saliva is released, the drink is poorly absorbed, diarrhea occurs).
6. Do not follow the feeding regimen (food is better absorbed when young animals eat daily at the same hours).
7. Give drink from unwashed dishes.
8. Leave unfinished milk formula for the next day (the product quickly deteriorates, pathogenic microorganisms begin to multiply in it).

There is no better nutrition for a calf than mother's milk, but milk replacer becomes a lifesaver for a farmer who keeps a large livestock, trying to sell as much dairy products as possible and reduce its cost.The main thing is to buy high-quality milk analogues from popular and reputable manufacturers so as not to encounter poisoning and indigestion in young animals.

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