Table 4 Answers given by the 1287 respondents on calf feeding
Variable | Answers | Overall (%) | Small farms (≤20 cows) (%) | Large farms (20 cows (%) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type of milk fed | Whole milk | 85.1 | 90.0 | 79.8 | <0.01 |
Milk replacer | 14.1 | 9.0 | 19.6 | ||
No answer | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.6 | ||
Quantity of milk fed daily | Restricted to 12 % of the calves’ BW | 58.3 | 57.2 | 60.1 | <0.01 |
Restricted, >12 % of the calves’ BW | 28.0 | 27.6 | 27.8 | ||
Ad libitum | 11.9 | 14.3 | 9.4 | ||
No answer | 1.8 | 0.9 | 2.7 | ||
Method of milk feeding | Bucket with artificial teat | 75.4 | 72.9 | 77.4 | <0.01 |
Bucket without artificial teat | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | ||
Bucket with, then without artificial teat | 18.9 | 23.9 | 14.4 | ||
Automatic milk feeder | 2.6 | 0.0 | 5.3 | ||
No answer | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | ||
Feeding waste milk to calves | Not at all | 14.8 | 16.5 | 12.8 | 0.04 |
Yes, to all calves | 28.8 | 26.2 | 31.7 | ||
Only to males | 30.9 | 26.9 | 35.7 | ||
Only in exceptional cases | 24.4 | 29.0 | 19.2 | ||
No answer | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.6 | ||
Weaning | <8 weeks | 6.5 | 4.6 | 8.6 | <0.01 |
8–9 weeks | 16.8 | 13.9 | 19.4 | ||
10–11 weeks | 15.4 | 13.3 | 18.1 | ||
12–13 weeks | 30.8 | 33.3 | 28.1 | ||
>13 weeks | 16.4 | 23.6 | 8.7 | ||
No answer | 14.1 | 11.3 | 17.1 | ||
Access to water | 1–3 weeks | 71.5 | 70.5 | 72.7 | 0.26 |
4–8 weeks | 24.2 | 24.1 | 24.2 | ||
>8 weeks | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.3 | ||
No answer | 2.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | ||
Access to hay | 1–3 weeks | 84.9 | 84.9 | 85.3 | 0.74 |
4–8 weeks | 13.8 | 14.5 | 13.2 | ||
>8 weeks | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | ||
No answer | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | ||
Access to concentrates | 1–3 weeks | 60.5 | 52.6 | 68.8 | <0.01 |
4–8 weeks | 30.2 | 35.3 | 25.2 | ||
>8 weeks | 4.9 | 6.5 | 3.2 | ||
No answer | 4.4 | 5.6 | 2.8 |