Feeding dairy calves and replacement heifers in South-western Sweden: a survey

Abstract

Daily feed rations, their nutrient contents and live weight gains were recorded for calves and replacement heifers from birth to calving in 122 Swedish dairy herds. Preweaned calves were fed whole milk (45% of the herds), milk replacer alone or milk replacer combined with whole milk. Calf starters were the most frequently used concentrates for preweaned calves, whereas grain dominated for weaned calves and heifers. Grain was supplemented with protein concentrates until 6 months of age and at calving. Grass/clover hay was the dominant forage for preweaned calves, whereas grass/clover silage alone or in combination with hay was the most common forage for calves and replacement heifers from 6 months of age. Heifers grazed semi-natural grasslands, leys or a combination of semi-natural grasslands and leys in 33, 15 and 52% of the herds, respectively. According to Swedish recommendations, calves in a majority of the herds were fed too low concentrations of crude protein from weaning to 6 months of age and calves were fed too low a metabolizable energy content inadequate for a daily weight gain of 700 g at weaning. Median live weight gain from birth to calving was only 567 g per day. Correct feed ration formulations and strategic grazing management could be means to increase weight gain and hence to decrease rearing costs of calves and replacement heifers in Swedish dairy herds.

Keywords:

• feed ration
• heifer management
• live weight gain
• nutrient content
• rearing

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the participating farmers for their time, interest and support. Sölve Johnsson and Dan-Axel Danielsson, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, are acknowledged for their help in the initial planning of the study, and Per Arnesson and Tauno Turtinen, Skara Semin Dairy Association, for their help with practical arrangements. Karin Lundborg, Lotta Andersson, and Jonica Östlund, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, are acknowledged for their herd visits and data collections, and Ingemar Olsson, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, is acknowledged for his advice regarding protein recommendations. The study was financed by Stiftelsen Skaraborgs läns Nötkreatursförsäkringsbolags Stiftelse, The Swedish Farmers’ Foundation for Agricultural Research, The Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research, Agroväst, Växjö Djurskyddsförening and The Swedish Dairy Association.

Notes

Hessle, A., Nadeau, E. and Svensson, C. (Department of Animal Environment and Health, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 234, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden). Feeding dairy calves and replacement heifers in south-western Sweden: a survey.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Hessle *

Hessle, A., Nadeau, E. and Svensson, C. (Department of Animal Environment and Health, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 234, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden). Feeding dairy calves and replacement heifers in south-western Sweden: a survey.