Optimising calf starter feeds before and after weaning

Calves are often offered the same starter feed both before and after weaning. Starters which promote high rates of intake facilitate earlier weaning (thus reducing milk replacer usage) but can impair feed conversion efficiency (FCE) after weaning (Newbold et al., unpublished). The objective of this experiment was to compare a combination of an optimal pre-weaning diet and an optimal post-weaning diet with a conventional starter fed both before and after weaning. 'Optimal' diets had previously been identified as superior to the conventional starter in terms of either feed intake (pre-weaning) or FCE (post-weaning).