Digestible Protein Levels in Dry Calf Starters

Dry calf starter mixture s for young calves should have a high digestibility. The best level of digestible protein for these calf starters has not been fully established. Calves do not consume sufficient quantities of roughage at this age to receive the necessary protein requirements from that source. It was generally accepted in the feeding of dairy calves that they should start to receive a dry grain mixture as soon as they will eat it. At this age, the digestive system of the young calf is not well developed and cannot handle some types of feed. A feeding trial was begun to determine how much difference the digestible protein level of the dry calf starter would have on the growth of young dairy calves. This trial is the focus of this article. It was discovered that the digestible protein content of the dry calf starters does not need to be more than 12 %