Feeding pasteurized waste milk to preweaned calves can make sense economically, and many dairies and calf raisers do it very well. But managing a pasteurizing system is definitely not a “no-brainer.”

Today’s dedicated calf-raising facilities regularly receive pre-weaned calves that may have traveled from a few miles to a few thousand miles. Having a plan in place for each load can help ensure that those calves settle in and take off to a healthy start in their new homes.

At long last, we now have new, research-based guidelines to better steer our calf nutrition decisions.