There is nothing better for calf development than feeding milk. It provides the best blend of protein, fat and available energy for the neonatal digestive system.
A key priority to developing lifetime performance in calves is to convert the monogastric calf into a ruminant animal as efficiently as possible. This is achieved through early intakes of a highly digestible solid feed.
Recent research by Quigley et al (Download Full Paper) shows that there is a trade-off between the quantity of milk offered and the rate of rumen development. They show that if more than 650-700g of solids per day are offered then dry matter intakes are reduced, delaying rumen development. This in turn affects post-weaning performance.
