Interest in milk replacers really seems to be heating up, especially now that milk prices have increased and the differential between milk value and the cost of powder widens.

There are now many more players in the market. Competition is good but farmers need to be aware that when you are comparing the different products that you must compare apples with apples.

There are a number of different types of protein sources; milk derived proteins such as whey and skim and then vegetable derived proteins from wheat etc.

The vegetable derived proteins tend to be less digestible than their milk derived counterparts. So just because the protein content on the bag might be the same it doesn’t mean that performance will be.

Not every company that sells milk replacers manufactures them. Some are importing milk powder and putting their name on the bag. There are no issues with this provided that the types of products used are good quality and are used consistently.

Animal Health Ireland (AHI) have issued guidelines on the specification of milk replacers. They say that the protein content should be in the region of 23%-26%, oil content between 16%-20%, ash content between 7%-8% and a maximum fibre content of 0.15%.

Fibre

According to AHI, fibre contents greater than 0.1% may indicate the inclusion of non-dairy protein sources which are less digestible.

If you are considering buying a product that you haven’t used before, you should ask to speak to a trustworthy farmer that is using the same powder to see how he is getting on with it. Buying an unknown product in bulk is a big risk, especially when most prices are in excess of €2,000/t.

Table 1 is a sample of some milk replacers on the Irish market. While most companies offer powders with different levels of specification, the products outlined in the table tend to be at the higher-end of their range, targeted at rearing replacement heifers.

Read more

Calf rearing: what to look for in a milk replacer