Re-evaluating dairy calf nutrition for long-term benefits

29-01-2024 | Calves | Article

Calves with access to milk ad libitum consume 50–90% more milk than recommended feeding levels, while those rationed to current recommendations show behaviours associated with hunger. Photo: Canva

New Australian research looks at the nutrition a calf receives early in its life and the positive influence on overall health and resilience as it grows and gets ready to join the milking herd. The University of Melbourne PhD candidate Emma Ockenden has spent the last 3.5 years examining the impact of 2 different feeding strategies on calf immune responses pre and post weaning. She says that successful calf rearing means that calves grow well and remain healthy even when exposed to infections

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Groeneveld

René Groeneveld Australia correspondent

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