Calf Weaning Accelerated By 14 Days Using The Gain Once-A-Day Feeding System

Feeding heifer calves a milk powder using a high concentration of low-heat skimmed milk once a day is allowing a dairy farm in Co Monaghan to wean 14 days earlier.

Oisin and Dolly Duffy, and Oisin’s mother and father,Sinead and Niall, had been feeding calves cows’ milk twice a day before herd expansion encouraged them to re-evaluate that approach. Over the course of seven years they had grown cow numbers from 80 to 200 and were keen to find ways of saving labour given their higher workload. They were introduced to Gain Once-a-Day by Pat Treacy, their local Glanbia business manager. Not only would Gain Once-a-Day halve daily feeding time, but the product’s unique formulation combining a high content of low-heat skimmed milk, low-heat buttermilk and sweet whey, designed to be mixed at a high concentration, leaves calves more content and helps to eliminate digestive upsets.

Never Looked Back

Calves are now fed once, at 10.30am. They Duffys say they have “never looked back’’ since switching to Gain Once-a-Day. All calves are fed Gain Once-a-Day from day 11 or 12, at a rate of 600g made up to 3 litres of milk. Initially calves are fed in groups of 10 and double up into groups of 20 at three weeks. From around one month old they are fed through a 50-teat trailed feeder in groups of 40. Since feeding Gain Once-a-Day, all nutritional upsets have been eliminated - cow’s milk was previously fed once a day to males before sale but the crossbred calves struggled to consume high volumes and there were issues with nutritional scour. “It is now so lovely to see the calves so contented every afternoon instead of looking for milk, which was the case when cow’s milk was fed twice daily,” says Dolly.

Excellent Liveweight Gain

The family are certain their calves prefer Gain Once-a-Day powder instead of cow’s milk twice a day. Not only are calves happier but the business is gaining too. Calves are weighed weekly from 28 days old and the figures confirm that they grow by an average 0.8kg/head/day from 28 days old to weaning at day 70. Thanks to this excellent liveweight gain and a significant increase in concentrates consumed, calves are now weaned 14 days earlier than when they were fed cow’s milk twice a day. The labour-saving aspect of Gain Once-a-Day also allows the Duffys extra time to spend with their son, Fionn, and daughter, Orlaith.

Oisin and Dolly Duffy pictured with their daughter Orlaith

For more information on any of the GAIN products, service or programmes, contact your local GAIN Business Manager, Glanbia Branch or visit glanbiaconnect.com.

First Published 3 February 2020