Abstract

One experiment was conducted to compare an early weaning program, using a prestarter , when calves were weaned at 2 or 3 wk of age with programs using conventional feeds and weaning at 3 or 6 wk of age. Daily gains to 8 wk of age were 1.19 and 1.03 pound for calves fed a commercial starter and weaned at 6 and 3 weeks of age, respectively; and were 1.1 and .97 for calves on the early weaning program and weaned at 3 and 2 wk of age, respectively. Another experiment was conducted to test one variation of the early weaning program. Calves fed according to the early weaning program and receiving a high quality, fibrous starter gained an average of 1.3 lb per day to 6 wk of age. Calves fed prestarter but no starter until weaning did not perform as well.; Dairy Day, 1984, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 1984;

Keywords: Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution, no. 85-116-S, Report of progress (Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station), 460, Dairy, Weaning, Feed consumption, Weight gain

How to Cite:

Morrill, J., Schmidt, M., Cullen, A. & Morrill, M., (1984) “Evaluation of an early weaning program for dairy calves”, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 1(2), 11-13. doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.3078