Calf starter and calf grower are two different types of calf feed. Your calves will go through several growth stages, each requiring a particular nutrition plan for health and productivity. Any nutritional deficits will affect your farm’s profitability and sustainability. So, it’s critical not to mistake starter for grower or provide either before your calves are ready.

Calf Feed and Growth Stages

At first, calves depend on mom’s milk or a milk replacer for their nutritional needs. You should introduce the calf starter feed on day 3 after birth to help develop their rumen. Calves will gradually consume more starter feed every week until their rumen is developed and ready for weaning. After you wean dairy calves, they’ll still require starter feed for at least two to three weeks to avoid a significant feed intake drop if transitioned to grower feed too quickly.

Calf Starter vs. Grower Feed

The difference between starter and grower feed is in their nutritional content and the age they target for development.

Calf starter feed must be palatable and have fermentable carbohydrate and fiber content to aid the rumen development. Likewise, the starter feed should contain adequate protein sources. However, the actual amount of protein can vary depending on the protein supply from milk or milk replacer, according to Pennsylvania State University. So, one of the things that affects the starter diet is the milk intake, which isn’t a factor for the grower feed.

The grower feed maximizes the growth and muscularity of your calves without adding excessive fat early on. It also promotes bone, rumen, and udder tissue development, providing the nutrients the calf needs in the growing phase. Calf grower feed is usually provided to calves between 12-24 weeks of age, but the timing may vary depending on their development.

A quality grower feed should contain a digestible fiber source, highly digestible energy components, sufficient protein content, a natural palatability enhancer, minerals, vitamins, and medicine against coccidiosis.

How to Transition From Starter to Grower Feed

Don’t stop the calf starter immediately upon weaning. While starter feed plays a critical role in rumen development and helps the weaning process, your calves still need starter for at least 2-3 weeks after weaning. Switching to a fermented or high-fiber diet post-weaning can stall rumen development and reduce the overall productivity of your calves.

Give Low-Intake Calves Extra time

Before moving to grower, it’s wise to identify low-intake calves. If you give them some more time to increase their starter intake after weaning, you may get better results with them. Your herd’s average consumption also includes the calves on the lower end. Maximize their growth, and your average ROI per calf can also improve.

Transition Slowly

Avoid sudden transition from starter to grower feed. Your calves will stress after moving to the grower pen, so it’s best to minimize any abrupt changes in their feeding habits. Start by mixing the calf starter with the calf grower in a 50:50 ratio. Your calves should be ready to feed on grower feed after they fully consume the starter/grower mixture for 2-3 consecutive days.

Add Forage to Your Calves’ Diets

After transitioning to a grower feed, you can start offering more free-choice quality forage like grass/alfalfa hay. However, the grower feed consumption should be the priority. Monitor the feed intake to ensure the grower feed is used to its maximum potential. You can also offer fermented forages to calves older than 3 months.

Don’t Forget the Water

While concentrated feeds can significantly improve calf development, a simple life ingredient is critical—fresh water. Water in your pens must have the capacity for all calves. As soon as the water intake drops, the feed intake follows. So, it’s critical to ensure your calves have access to fresh water at all times, especially during stressful transitions when they have an increased need for water.

Why Feed Quality Is Critical For Productivity and Health

Whether your calves are in a life period for starter or grower feed, the feed quality makes all the difference. Unpalatable feed? Too many fines? Insufficient probiotics or minerals? Unfortunately, your calves will either say “no thank you” or consume it but won’t grow to their potential. Inadequate feed can also lead to health problems and significant productivity loss. Animal nutrition must check many boxes, especially those concerning your particular herd’s needs.

Below are just some of the critical considerations for quality starter and grower calf feed:

  • Feed/pellet hardness: Your calves shouldn’t struggle to chew their feed. Likewise, a feed that is too soft won’t be appealing to them, reducing their overall intake.
  • Texture: Calves don’t want to eat finely ground feed. Feed texture can significantly affect intake and calf productivity.
  • Micronutrients: Young calves need vitamins like B, D, A, C, K, and E, and minerals like magnesium, selenium, calcium, sulfur, iron, phosphorus, and sodium. If your calves don’t get any of these in the needed amount, they might develop health issues or lose performance.
  • Macronutrients: Your feed must supply easily digestible protein, fat, and carbohydrates to maximize growth. Every feed will provide these, but their source can make or break the success of your calves.
  • Performance-improving ingredients: Calf grower feed should be optimized and augmented for improved calf performance. For example, Star Blends provides calf grower feed with Monensin, an ingredient that increases the energy yield and animal performance.

Star Blends can deliver high-quality calf feed per your nutritionist’s ingredient recommendations. Generalist feed may not always be the best approach. Your calves are unique and so is their background. Optimizing and providing complete feeds for their needs will help you maximize their health and life-long productivity.

Trust Star Blends For High-Quality Calf Starter And Grower

If you need starter, grower, or another type of feed, you can depend on Star Blends. We work closely with your nutritionist to craft custom feed blends designed to support the specific needs of your cattle and their growth stage. Contact our team to learn more about how we can provide feed for cattle in all stages of life.