Introduction of the Partially Acidified Milk Replacers
When milk replacer solution is
partially acidified, the taste to the
calf does change. “Sweet” milk or
milk replacer solution does have a
pleasing “sweet” taste that encourages rapid and high consumption.
The partially acidified milk replacer
solution has an “acidic” taste that
typically slows down the feeding
rate. The consumption at the end
of the day is similar between the
two products but the partially
acidified milk replacer solution will
be consumed more slowly - which
can be beneficial.
Because the taste is quite different
for a young calf, the recommended introduction schedule
varies depending on whether the
calf is new born or currently
consuming “sweet milk”.
Recommendation:
Introduce the partially acidified
milk replacer solution to the new
born calf after the colostrum and
transition milk feeding has been
completed (3 days of age). For
those calves already on “sweet”
milk; gradually mix the partially
acidified milk replacer powder
with the sweet milk powder at the
ratio of 25:75 for the 1st 2-3 days, 50:50 for the next 2-3 days and then
and then finally at 75:25 for the last 2-3 days.
What do Shur-Gain Customers say about
the Optivia Milk Replacers....
ATHLONE FARMS (Brian and Wendy Anderson), Tavistock, Ontario
“We began using the new Shur Gain Optivia Advantage Milk Replacer
26:16, as soon as it was available. Our calves are thriving on it - drinking it
readily and achieving a good weight gain by the time they are weaning
age”.
SMITH’S DAIRY FARM (Kevin and Susan Smith), Omemee, Ontario
“I have been very pleased with the performance of my dairy calves on the
partially acidified milk replacer. I feel that the calves do grow quicker on
this milk replacer and I’m seeing a lot less sickness in the calves. Overall,
the calves on this milk replacer are doing better than any other milk
replacer that I have fed in the past.”
VAARKAMP ACRES (Wilco Vaarkamp) Hagersville, Ontario
“I have been using Shur-Gain’s partly acidified milk replacer for more than
6 months, and have noticed a marked improvement in calf health and
performance during this time period. The product is easily mixed in warm
water, and fits nicely into our young calf program. The most obvious
improvement is a reduction in scours, as well as an improvement in the
transition between whole milk and milk replacer.”
LOYALYN HOLSTEINS, Rob, Alice and Cynthia Bumstead, Owen Sound,
Ontario
“Since we started using Advantage milk replacer 10 months ago we have
definitely noticed a decline in the incidence of scours in our calf nursery.
We find the product easy to use as we mix the powder into hot water first
and then add cold water to achieve the right temperature. The calves
appear bright and healthy and seem to really enjoy feeding time.”
JOURNEY’S JOY FARM, Will Soden, Peterboro, NY, USA
“The calves are really enthusiastic about eating it (26:16 Optivia Acidified
Milk Replacer) and they’ve been really healthy since we switched – we’ve
also had less scouring.”
Milk
Replacer
Program
Shur-Gain’s Optivia Milk Replacer Program
The Optivia Calf and Heifer program is an innovative nutrition and
management program that incorporates the latest research into heifer
growth and development. One of the key concepts in this program is
feeding strategies to allow the young heifer calf to double its birth weight
by 56 days of age!
Cornell University clearly shows that increased milk production in 1st and
subsequent lactations is highly influenced by this one parameter doubling the birth weight by 56 days of age! In fact, the Cornell data would
suggest that for every 0.45 kg of ADG above a “traditional” program
(approximately 4 litres of solution/day) the milk production could increase
by 385 kg in the 1st lactation!
What are the Key Nutritional Concepts in achieving
this growth?
•
•
•
•
Feeding optimum amounts of colostrum (8-10% of birth weight) ~
3-4 litres within 2 hours of birth
Feeding optimum levels of milk or milk replacer solution
Reducing morbidity (sickness) to ensure rapid growth
Ensuring adequate rumen development to improve weaning success
Cornell Trial: Calf performance - 2 litres versus 4 litres
of colostrum fed within 2 hrs. after birth
Recent research at Cornell University by Fernando Soberon uncovered
startling results when calves were fed either 2 or 4 litres (L) of colostrum
immediately after birth. The purpose of the study was to determine the
interaction between amounts of colostrum fed and milk replacer
consumed. Calves that were offered up to 12 L/day of milk replacer had
greater feed efficiency, and therefore better ADG, when they had been fed
4 L of colostrum within 2 h of birth compared to calves that were offered
only 2 L of colostrum within the first 2 h post-birth. The benefits of
colostrum feeding were still present 4 wks post-weaning. In contrast, when
calves were limit fed 4 L/d of milk replacer, the amount of colostrum fed did
not improve performance, and these calves had lower feed efficiency and
lower ADG than calves offered 12 L/d of milk replacer.
Comparison of
calves fed either 2
or 4 litres of
colostrum
immediately after
birth
High (~ 12 litres of
MR)
High (~ 12 litres of
MR)
Colostrum
Amount
1st 2 hours
ADG (kg)
preweaning
ADG
(kg)
1st 85
Days
DMI (kg)
postweaning
Weight
Gain
3 week
period
4
0.78
0.78
58.71
21.75
2
0.55
0.54
49.51
16.33
Feeding higher levels of colostrum
immediately after birth, virtually
“turned on a switch” in the calf’s
metabolism to improve growth rate.
Feeding Optimum Levels of Milk or Milk Replacers
Feeding higher than traditional levels (4 litres) of milk or milk replacer solution is directly associated with improved growth rate. The Optivia Milk
Replacers are carefully designed and formulated to optimize growth rate in
the first two months of life. Some of the key features of the Optivia 26:16
Advantage Milk Replacer are:
• Additional amino acids (lysine and methionine) have been added to the
formula “on top” of the protein that is guaranteed on the tag (26% CP).
Mark Hill (Nurture Research Center, Provimi North America, Lewisburg,
Ohio) concluded that “supplementing the correct amount of amino
acids to all milk protein milk replacers has improved ADG and feed
efficiency by 15% or more.” By adding additional amino acids to the 26%
CP milk replacer it outperforms a 28% CP milk replacer by improving
feed efficiencies.
• All milk based protein sources to ensure consistent and optimum
growth rates.
• Partial acidification. Both the Optivia 26:16 Advantage Milk Replacer and
the Optivia 22:18 High Performance Milk Replacer include an optimum
combination of dry acids to partially acidify the milk replacer solution.
The end pH range should be between 5.2 and 5.6.
Reducing morbidity (sickness) to ensure healthy growth
Feeding partially (mildly) acidified milk
replacer solution is different than fully
acidified. Fully acidified milk will have a
lower end pH than partially acidified milk
and is primarily used to preserve the milk
so that it can be fed over an extended
period of time (1-3 days). The low pH will
also eliminate many of the bacteria that
cause digestive problems with dairy
calves. The partially acidified milk
replacer contains a combination of acids
that are designed to:
• Reduce the pH in the solution to
5.2-5.6
• Dissociate in the abomasum to
reduce the potential increase in pH
when the milk enters this part of the
gut.
The advantages of feeding partially acidified milk are many-fold:
• Research demonstrated that calves fed partially acidified milk replacer
solution has a marked decrease in the incidence of scours. Scours are
the leading cause of death in young calves.
• The pH is low enough to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria but
may encourage the growth of beneficial Lactobacillus microorganisms.
How to Feed and Mix Optivia
Milk Replacers
The Optivia Milk Replacers have been
carefully formulated with the proper
combination of skim milk and whey powder
to ensure ideal mixing and feeding. The
addition of dry acids makes it critical to mix
at the proper temperature for an appropriate
amount of time.
The ideal mixing temperature of the water
should be between 45-55°C to ensure good
dispersion. The final feeding temperature
should be between 39-41°C for optimum
performance and intake. This can be
achieved by adding cool water to the
solution for immediate feeding or allowing
the solution to cool naturally.
The milk replacer powder should be mixed
vigorously with a whisk ( hand wisk or
attached to drill) for a minimum of 2 minutes
to ensure even dispersion of the fat and
protein.
Note: it is recommended to use a scale and
thermometer to ensure that the mixing
instructions are completed as directed.
The Optivia Milk Replacers are designed to
be mixed at 150 grams/litre of final solution.
The minimum feeding level of the solution
should be 6 litres; which translates to 900
grams of powder/calf/day. This will ensure
an optimum growth rate during ideal
climatic conditions (10° to 20°C).
During cold weather conditions, introduce a
third feeding for a total intake of 8-9 litres of
solution/day.
Age
Birth (0-2 hours)
6-12 hours
Day 2-3
Day 4-5
Day 6-7
Week 2
Week 3-5
Week 6-8
Milk Replacer Powder
grams/day
colostrum
colostrum
Transition Milk
600-750 g
750-900 g
900 g
900 g
450 g
Milk Replacer Solution
(powder + liquid)
3-4 litres
2-4 litres
4-5 litres
4-5 litres
5-6 litres
6 litres
6 litres
3 litres