Hay vs. Silage for Two to Six Months Old Dairy Calves Weaned at 25 or 60 Days

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Abstract
Two groups of 16 calves were weaned from milk replacer at 25 or 60 days and assigned at 60 days to either hay or silage rations plus 3 lb. daily of 16% dairy ration. Calves fed milk replacer through 60 days consumed three times as much milk replacer and were significantly heavier at 60 days than those weaned at 25 days. By 90 days, however, calves weaned at 25 days and continued on hay were equal in weight to those weaned at 60 days and fed only silage and grain thereafter. Both groups of calves fed hay were superior in weight at 180 days to those fed silage, regardless of time of weaning. These data support previously reported results showing that calves may be sucessfully weaned from milk replacer at 3 to 5 weeks of age, but suggest that early weaned calves should not be restricted to silage as the only roughage from 2 to 6 months of age.

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