In this episode of The Dairy Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Marcos Marcondes from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute breaks down the science behind milk replacer fat levels for calves and why fat content matters. He explains how milk replacers differ from raw milk in fat concentration, compares the effectiveness of lactose versus fat as energy sources, and highlights the key benefits of high-fat milk replacers for calf health and development. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We’re seeing consistent improvements in calf health when feeding a high-fat milk replacer or raw milk compared to a high-lactose milk replacer."

• (00:00) Introduction
• (02:13) Fat concentration impact
• (03:34) Lactose vs fat energy
• (05:30) Calf health response
• (06:32) Winter feeding strategies
• (10:31) Fatty acid composition
• (14:52) Closing thoughts

Meet the guest:

Dr. Marcos Marcondes earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the Federal University of Viçosa and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Florida. He currently works at the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute as a Dairy Research Scientist. His work focuses on calf nutrition, methane reduction, microbial protein production, and fat sources in milk replacers.

Connect with our guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

Click here to read the full research article!