Effects of increasing milk replacer feeding frequency from 2 to 3 times per day on calf growth performance

Abstract Several calf studies have demonstrated growth performance advantages when feeding greater protein and/or milk solids amounts as a 3rd feeding. However, a prior experiment feeding additional milk replacer (MR) as a 3rd feeding demonstrated no growth performance improvements compared with feeding 2X/d during the first 14 d of the experiment. In addition, an aggressive weaning program (feed 1X/d for 1 wk) reduced ADG for calves fed 3X/d compared with calves fed 2X/d due to 50% less calf starter (CS) intakes reducing the weaning transition resulting in post-weaning growth slump. The objective was to evaluate a longer transition period for weaning. Fifty 2- to 5-d old Holstein male calves were blocked by body weight (BW; 45.6 ± 4.0 kg; TSP 5.6 ± 0.8 mg/dL) and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments. Treatments were feeding: 1) 2X: 0.85 kg/d MR in 2 feedings; or 2) 3X: 1.275 kg/d in 3 feedings. Feeding times were 0630 and 1800 h for 2X/d while 3X received the 3rd feeding at 1200 h. The MR was fed at 15% solids. All calves were fed 2X/d during d 1-14 with calves fed 3X treatment starting on d 15. Calves were fed MR at 0.567 kg/d during d 1-14, while calves fed 2X/d were increased to 0.85 kg/d starting on d 15, while calves fed 3X were fed an additional 0.425 kg/d at the 3rd feeding. At no time were any milk refusals observed. To facilitate a smoother weaning transition, calves fed 3X/d were reduced to 2X/d feeding during wk 6 and during wk 7, both 2X/d and 3X/d fed calves were reduced to 1X/d feeding with weaning occurring after d 49. The experiment period was 63 d. Calf starter was individually fed, and orts were weighed daily with free choice water. Initial BW was a significant (P < 0.01) covariate but study BW average (64.0 and 65.8 kg for 2X/d and 3X/d, respectively) and BW gains (43.0 and 44.6 kg) were similar (P > 0.10) for calves fed both treatments. A treatment by wk interaction demonstrated greater (P < 0.05) BW for calves fed 3X/d during wk 4, 5, and 6 compared with calves fed 2X/d. Final BW (88.5 and 90.2 kg) were similar (P > 0.10) for calves fed both treatments. A treatment by wk interaction (P < 0.04) demonstrated that feeding calves MR 3X/d inhibited CS intake during wk 5, 6, 7, and 8 compared with calves fed 2X/d. Calves fed 3X/d demonstrated fewer d of scour scores=0 with more d of scour scores=2 compared with calves fed 2X/d. Under these experimental conditions, providing an additional MR feeding resulted in similar overall study BW gains, which cannot be economically justified based on the additional MR and labor costs.