COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF WHOLE MILK, MILK REPLACER, AND THEIR BLEND ON DRY MATTER INTAKE, AVERAGE DAILY GAIN, AND FEED CONVERSION RATIO IN JERSEY CROSSBRED CALVES

Abstract

The increasing cost of whole milk has prompted dairy producers to explore milk replacers as a more economical feeding option for young calves. This study investigated the effects of feeding whole milk, a 50:50 blend of whole milk and milk replacer, or milk replacer alone on dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in Jersey crossbred calves. Eighteen newborn calves were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments, with six calves in each group. Calves received their respective liquid diets until 120 days of age, while calf starter containing 19% crude protein was offered from 20 days of age and green fodder from 60 days onward. Calves fed whole milk and the whole milk–milk-replacer blend showed comparable performance throughout the experimental period. Daily DMI averaged 937.83 and 934.17 g/day in the whole milk and blended groups, respectively, compared with 924.67 g/day in calves fed milk replacer alone (P < 0.05). Similarly, ADG was higher in calves receiving whole milk (268.67 g/day) and the blended diet (267.50 g/day) than in those fed only milk replacer (247.50 g/day). Feed efficiency followed a similar pattern, with lower FCR values observed in the whole milk (3.49) and blended (3.49) treatments compared with the milk replacer treatment (3.74). The findings indicate that replacing up to 50% of whole milk with milk replacer does not compromise feed intake, growth performance, or feed efficiency in Jersey crossbred calves. Partial substitution of whole milk with milk replacer, therefore, represents a practical and cost-effective feeding strategy that can reduce rearing costs while maintaining satisfactory calf performance.