Feeding Calves for Resilience

Calf nutrition has come a long way since we last covered this topic — and in this episode, we catch up with two of Trouw Nutrition's own experts to find out just how far. Georgina Thomas, Young Animal Feed Technical Sales Manager, and Dr Juliette Wilms, a ruminant researcher who did her PhD on fat inclusion in calf milk replacer, join us to talk through the shift from growth-focused feeding to what they call resilience-focused nutrition. We get into why eight litres a day is now considered moderate rather than generous, what a calf would actually drink if left on its dam, and why feeding more only works if you're feeding the right thing.

The heart of the conversation is fat — specifically the short and medium-chain fatty acids that occur naturally in whole milk but have historically been almost impossible to replicate in a calf milk replacer. Juliette explains the science behind restoring these, and why the payoff shows up most clearly in gut and respiratory health, not just growth rates. We also get into the real cost of scours and pneumonia in the calf shed, what Trouw's own research trial found when comparing four litres against eight, and why getting the fat-to-lactose balance right matters just as much as how much you're feeding.

We round things out with a plain-English explanation of osmolality, why whole milk and calf milk replacer each have their place depending on your situation, and where Trouw's research is heading next — including some early findings on dairy beef calves that could reshape how a growing share of the industry rears its animals. As always, it comes back to the basics: get your colostrum, hygiene, and stockmanship right first, then use nutrition to build calves that can cope with whatever a real working farm throws at them.

This episode was recorded in July 2026, and all information was correct at the time of recording. Please note this transcript was generated using AI transcription software — despite best efforts to ensure accuracy, there may be some errors in the final piece. 

What's your own take on feeding more milk versus feeding it right? Share your experience with us, and if you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a review.

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