Most milk replacers are 20% protein:20% fat and this will sufice if you feed 1.25 lbs of powder per day to achieve 500-750 grams of gain per day for a 95 lb Holstein calf. Lower fat will help drive dry matter intake from grain, so this can often be good. Feeding higher levels of milk powder and higher levels of protein is not recommended as it costs too much and is of no value to the calf in the long run. Rumen development, driven by grain intake is what is important in young calf feeding.
Arlyn Heinrichs, Dairy Extension, Penn State University.
