Table 3.

Performance through 6 wk of age for calves that suckled (S) their dam from birth through 3 d of age compared with calves removed from the dam and fed colostrum by bottle (B).¹

Variable	B	S	SEM	P
Average days to weaning2	35.0	31.5	1.01	0.10
Gain, kg	21.3	20.3	0.82	0.55
Initial BW, kg	39.2	40.9
Final BW, kg	60.5	61.2
Total grain consumed, kg	14.2	17.7	1.37	0.21
Total milk consumed, L	133.5	128.5	2.77	0.37
Increase in serum protein from birth to 24 h, %	42.4	28.5	3.2	0.04
Days with fecal scores >2	4.9	5.8	0.78	0.58
Electrolyte treatments/calf	7.6	9.3	1.60	0.60

¹Values are means for 15 calves/treatment except for serum protein values, fecal scores, and electrolyte treatments for S calves which include an additional calf that died at 5 weeks of age.

²Weaning was started when calves had consumed 0.68 kg of starter /d for 2 d, consecutively.