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We purchased a couple of Jersey bull calves (two or three weeks old) from a local dairy farmer. They received four days of colostrum and were on Jersey milk twice daily when we purchased them. We began feeding calf milk replacer when we brought them home three days ago. We now have a source for cow's milk (from cows treated with antibiotics or freshly calved). Will it harm the calves to switch back and forth from milk replacer to fresh milk? When we have extra milk available, I would like to freeze it for days when none is available. Would this hurt the content of the milk?

Last Updated: August 28, 2007

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We recommend mixing the two milk or liquid resources for two or three days gradually shifting (i.e., one-third replacer/two-thirds milk for day one, 50/50 day two, etc.) to minimize the shift in fat content and nutrient sources. You can freeze the surplus milk (no change in feed value will occur if you thaw it out in hot water, not in a microwave). You could also allow it to sour, making fermented milk (pH will drop to 4) and pickle the milk (should feed it up in two or three weeks as it can go bad in hot weather). Mike Hutjens, Extension Dairy Specialist, University of Illinois - Illini DairyNET

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