Are you providing enough water? One of the biggest growth limiters in young calves isn’t milk, meal, or minerals, it’s water. And not just what’s in their milk, fresh drinking water needs to be offered separately from birth. Even though milk is mostly water, it bypasses the rumen (thanks to the esophageal groove) meaning the rumen stays dry unless the calf actually drinks water. No water = no microbial life = slow rumen development = poor starter intakes. How Much Do Calves Drink? 0–1 week 0.5–2

transportation of newborn calves and feeding | Farm Factory

Guide to feeding newborn calves colostrum - Farmers Weekly