Is milk replacer a cost effective option this spring?
With milk prices bottoming out and calving only around the corner, many farmers will be considering if it is worth feeding milk replacer this spring.
Last spring, feeding milk replacer was a no-brainer as milk prices averaged 50c/L; however this spring the average base price is looking closer to the 32c/L mark.
Meanwhile, milk replacer is currently on the market at an average of €57 for a 20kg bag.
Farmers who bought milk replacer well in advance are at a financial advantage, considering milk prices are still dropping.
However, it may still be worthwhile buying in milk replacer now so you can get straight into filling the bulk tank to boost your milk cheque this spring.
Feeding milk replacer
Farmers who do use milk replacer typically begin feeding it to calves when they are five to seven days-of age and no longer require colostrum.
Once the initial colostrum has been fed within the first 24 hours, it is important to keep calves on transition milk for a few days to continue building their immune system.
After this, milk replacer is typically fed until the calf is weaned at seven to eight weeks-of-age.
Milk replacer has great benefits in the Irish dairy system, as calves can grow and develop just as they would on whole milk.
Whole milk has its downsides, especially if you are feeding waste milk, such as antibiotic milk, high somatic cell count (SCC) milk, or any poor quality milk, as these can lead to antimicrobial resistance, disease transmission, and stump growth rates.
However milk replacer can help reduce the risk of diseases spreading, which will act as an additional cost-saver on farm.
The consistency of milk replacer is key with mixing, ensuring the correct rate, and feeding at the same time each morning and evening important facets of the preparation.
By adding more water than instructed to stretch the product, you are in fact just diluting it, which will negatively affect your calves' growth rates.
The typical ratio for 1L of milk replacer is a mix of 125g of powder and 875ml of water.
Calves being fed milk replacer typically start on 500g per calf/day at one week-of-age.
At two weeks-of-age, they are upped to 750g per calf/day until five weeks-of-age, when they go back to 375g per calf/day, slowly weaning replacer out of the diet.
Meanwhile, calves who are drinking whole milk require approximately 6.18kg/day or 5-6L/day.
Prices
The cost of feeding 6L of saleable whole milk to calves at 34c/L is as follows:
- Milk price (value of milk sold, €/kg) = €0.37;
- Weight of whole milk to feed calves (kg/day) = 6.18kg;
- Total cost to feed one calf/day of whole milk = €0.37 x 6.18kg = €2.29.
The cost of feeding 6L of a good quality milk replacer to calves is as follows:
- Cost of milk replacer per bag = €57;
- Weight of milk replacer per bag = 20kg;
- Crude protein content of milk replacer = 23%;
- Fat content of milk replacer = 18%;
- Weight of milk replacer fed to calves/day = 0.75kg;
- Total cost to feed one calf/day of milk replacer = €57 ÷ 20kg x 0.75kg = €2.13.
The difference may not seem significant; however, over eight weeks of feeding, quite a difference can be seen.
Whole milk: €2.29/day x 7 days x 8 weeks = €128.24
Milk replacer: €2.13/day x 7 days x 8 weeks = €119.28
That means milk replacer is still €8.96 cheaper per calf than whole milk over the eight-week feeding period.
For a farm rearing 100 calves, that is a difference of €896, meaning milk replacer can still be considered the better option.
Before making any decisions coming into spring, it is important to work out your own values, as every farm is different, asking yourself how much you are actually saving.
If you are still saving even €1 per calf by feeding replacer, it will work out at a savings of €100 when rearing 100 calves, which makes all the difference covering another cost such as a vet callout fee.
Below is a table that outlines some of the popular products on the market and the price you can currently expect to pay for them.
| Milk replacer | Bag size (kg) | Protein percentage | Cost per bag | Cost per kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auctus Champion | 20 | 23.5% | €52.00 | €2.60 |
| Auctus Champion with added lung guard | 20 | 23.5% | €53.00 | €2.65 |
| Auctus Opti 60% Skim | 20 | 24% | €56.00 | €2.80 |
| Auctus Opti 60% Skim with added lung guard | 20 | 24% | €57.00 | €2.85 |
| Auctus Opti-mum | 20 | 26% | €63.50 | €3.18 |
| Auctus Opti-mum with added lung guard | 20 | 26% | €64.50 | €3.23 |
| Auctus Turbo Thrive | 20 | 21.5% | €51.00 | €2.55 |
| Country CalfLac | 20 | 23% | €60.00 | €3.00 |
| Country NRG+ | 20 | 22.5% | €65.00 | €3.25 |
| Liffey Mills Elvor Adapto Transition milk | 25 | 20% | €68.00 | €2.72 |
| Liffey Mills Elvor Bio Organic | 20 | 23.5% | €150.00 | €7.50 |
| Liffey Mills Elvor Confor | 25 | 23.5% | €69.00 | €2.76 |
| Liffey Mills Elvor Performance | 25 | 25% | €63.00 | €2.52 |
| Volac Heiferlac | 20 | 26% | €55.00 | €2.75 |
| Volac Maverick Once-a-day | 20 | 24% | €55.00 | €2.75 |
When buying these products, the cost should not be the most important criteria.
The product should ideally have a protein content of 23-26%, an oil content of 16-20%, a fibre content of less than 0.15%, and no more than 8.5% ash for the calf to thrive.
Buying lower quality products for cheaper prices may work out as less cost-effective, as the contents may not meet the calves' nutritional values.
