Dietary Fat in Milk or Milk Replacers for Dairy Calves Raised in Hutches During the Winter

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Abstract
Forty dairy calves born during December through April were used to determine the effect of feeding supplemental energy as dietary fat in liquid diets on weight gains and physiological response of calves raised in outside hutches during the winter. Dietary treatments were 1) whole milk, 2) whole milk plus 113 g/d fat supplement, 3) milk replacer, and 4) milk replacer plus 113 g/d fat supplement. Liquid diets were fed at 9% of body weight (adjusted weekly) during the 4-wk trial. Calf starter was fed for ad libitum intake beginning on d 21 of trial. Growth and physiological characteristics of calves were recorded at d 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Weight gains were greater for calves fed supplemental fat in liquid diets (d 3 to 28). Average daily gain for calves fed whole milk, whole milk plus fat, milk replacer, and milk replacer plus fat were 98, 154, 120, and 187 g/d. Starter consumption was similar for all treatment groups. Addition of 113 g/d of fat supplement during the trial resulted in a 20.6 and 39.8% increase in estimated total digestible energy consumed in the whole milk and replacer diets, respectively. The benefits of fat supplementation to whole milk or milk replacer diets was manifested as increased body weight gain during the dairy calves 1st mo of life.