Milk-protein substitutes in rations for veal calves.

Only small numbers of calves were fattened on whole milk alone, both in western Europe and Great Britain, until the 1960’s, d-hen suitable milk-substitute diets were developed. The lorn iron content of milk made calves anaemic (Blaxter, Sharman & MacDonald, ‘957) and lowered the myoglobin content of the muscle tissues. This resulted in white meat. In the course of time this whiteness bccame a mark of quality for this meat which, though expensive, is very tender and tasty. In the middle of the 1960’s large quantities of skim-milk powder became available in western Europe for feeding to farm animals. Milk substitutes are mainly based on skim-milk powder. As techniques for the preparation of milk substitutes improved, there was a rapid increase in thc number of cal\ es used for veal production. I n 1960, 300 ooo calves were reared in the Netherlands and by 1972 therc were I ooo 000. There is also an increase in the use of female calves, not needed for replacing dairy stocks, €or xeal production. There has been a similar development in Italy, France and Germany. In western Europe, about 6 ooo ooo calves arc now reared for veal evcry year. Great Britain, with 75 000, holds a very modest position. In the Netherlands, calves are selcctcd for leal production at about one week old &hen they weigh about 39 kg. In 18 weeks they reach about 180 kg, therefore the daily live-weight gain averagcs more than r kg. The milk-substitute powders have the following composition (g/kg) : skim-milk powder and whey powder 700-800, vegetable and animal fats or both 180-200, starch 30-50, minerals, vitamins, antibiotics 10. The milk-substitute is dissoived in warm water and the amount in the milk is increased as the calf grotts older, from 125 g to 190 g/kg milk. The amount of milk supplied is also increased to a maximum of about 16 kg/d. Tn its lifetime, a veal calf consumes about 225 kg milk-substitute; the food conversion ratio is about 1.6 Irg food intalielkg live-weight gain. In the early stages in the developinent of milk substitutes, the iron content was sometimes too high. This produced nicat uhich was red, and this limited its sale. The iron content of skim-milk powder and whey powder has now been greatly reduced with improved production methods, but in formulating the diet the iron content is adjusted so that there is no excessive anaemia. The 6 ooo ooo veal calves consume about 800,; of the skim-milk production of the European Economic Community (EEC). ?’he availability of large amounts of skim-milk powder for animal feeding is a matter of politics rather than of economical butter production. The EEC subsidises the cost of incorporating skim-milk powder