Abstract

Bull calf rearing systems typically have tight financial margins, with calf starter meal being a significant cost under a restricted milk-feeding regime. Two experiments were carried out to examine the effect of substituting calf starter meal with crushed barley. In the first experiment, there was no difference in growth rate during the first five weeks of milk feeding but during the seven days of transitioning from milk to grass, the growth rate of the barley-fed calves was lower (0.24 kg/d vs 0.88 kg/d; P<0.001). This period of lower growth was a major contributor to the 7 kg live weight difference at 12.5 weeks. In Experiment 2, the calves on crushed barley consistently grew slower than those on calf starter (0.67 kg/d vs 0.83 kg/d; P<0.001) resulting in a 16 kg live weight difference at 12 weeks of age. While feeding crushed barley was cheaper, the poorer and more variable calf performance indicates there is a lower likelihood of meeting individual live weights targets resulting in having to sell calves on a declining summer market.

Muir, P.D., Thomson B.C., and Nieuwenhuis A.

Hamilton, Volume 85, Hamilton, 49-51, 2025