Fat Sources in Milk Replacer

Milk replacer is a great option for bottle feeding calves. It can provide a more consistent mixture than waste milk and is often more affordable than feeding saleable milk. However, nutritionally, milk replacer is not the same as whole milk. 

One of the biggest differences in the milk replacer and whole milk is the fat content. Fats are comprised of short chain, medium chain, and long chain fatty acids. The length of the chain is determined by the number of carbon atoms (C) that are present within the structure.

Butterfat found in whole milk contains a wide variety of fatty acids and is very digestible to the calf. Milk replacers typically contain tallow and lard as the primary source of fat rather than very expensive butterfat. Tallow and lard are high in long-chain fatty acids and although these long chain fatty acids are very important as energy for the calf, their digestibility in the first few weeks of life is limited until the calf is producing sufficient pancreatic lipases.

A source of short and medium chain fatty acids is also important in balancing the fat content of a milk replacer. Butyrate is an example of a short chain fatty acid that is very beneficial in the calf’s diet. Butyrate is naturally occurring in milk and is utilized in the development of rumen papillae. Some milk replacers include butyrate as an important ingredient.

Medium chain fatty acids are important to the calf as they can be absorbed directly from the small intestine to the liver, where they can be converted to energy. Coconut oil is composed mostly of medium chain fatty acids and typically, is very digestible to a young calf.

For the best performance, select a milk replacer that contains a blend of high-quality fatty acids, and is balanced to meet all other nutritional requirements of the calf.

Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.