A milk replacer is mainly made up of dairy products, fats, minerals, vitamins and trace elements in order to ensure during the milk period a balanced diet, adapted to the nutritional and physiological needs of the young animal.

Why distribute the colostrum ?

During gestation, antibodies are not transmitted from the cow to the foetus. As the uterine environment is sterile, the calf is born without immune defence.
So, the antibodies or immunoglobulins present at a high rate in colostrum are the first defence of the newborn calf against pathogens : the consumption of colostrum provides to the newborn calf an immunization called "passive"

When and how to distribute the colostrum ?

The antibodies are absorbed by the intestine but the absorption efficiency decreases very quickly to be reduced by half after 12 hours and to become insignificant beyond 30 hours.
Therefore, the colostrum should be distributed very quickly : 2 litres at birth, then 2 or 3 distributions with 6 hours in between during the first day.
The distribution of colostrum must be maintained for at least 3 days.

What is a good colostrum ?

A good colostrum must contain more than 100 g per litre of immunoglobulins. Its quality varies from an animal to another (primiparous female, health…) : it is measured with a colostrum scale.

What is weaning ?

Weaning is the period of transition between the milk diet (milk replacer or mother's milk) and the diet of the adult animal, made up of fodder, concentrates and water.

When calf is weaned ?

The young animal is weaned when it eats enough fodder and concentrates to meet its daily nutritional needs and when its live weight is sufficient :
- heifer : daily consumption of concentrate = 2 kg
Birth weight is doubled
- young ewe : daily consumption of concentrate = 200 g
Live weight is 15 kg
- young she-goat : daily consumption of concentrate = 70 g
Live weight is 12 kg

What are the nutritional properties of veal meat ?

Veal meat is rich in proteins, which represent two thirds of the energy value of meat (a food is considered to be "rich in proteins" if at least 20% of its energy value is provided by the proteins).
With 3 to 5% of lipids, veal meat is considered to be lean, with a primacy of fatty unsaturated acids.
It is an excellent source of zinc which plays a part in many biological reactions.
Veal meat is a source of vitamins of the group B, especially the vitamin B12

How do we appreciate the quality of veal meat when we buy it ?

When you buy it, the veal meat must have a tight texture, a nice pale pink pigmentation with pearly white firm fat. You can keep it during 2 or 3 days in the fridge in its original packaging.
In order to have a very tender meat, you must not cook it as soon as you take it out of the fridge, but you must keep it a few minutes at room temperature.

How to cook veal meat ?

On a grill, in a pan, in a high-sided frying pan, in a casserole or in the oven, veal meat is suitable for all the dishes.
The cooking must be the reflection of the meat : delicacy. Veal meat must be tasted medium cooked : neither rare nor pink and even less overcooked.
During cooking, in order to keep its juice, meat should never be pricked with a fork to be returned. Use a spatula.
Likewise, add salt just when you serve.

Well-being, traceability, hygiene, environment, what are the guarantees ?

Feeding calves, giving them care, transporting them are all strictly regulated daily acts on the basis of 3 important concerns :
1 - the well-being of the animal
2 - food safety
3 - environment protection
The veterinary departments control systematically the right enforcement of the regulation as well as the mastery of the cold chain and hygiene. The animals are individually identified and all examined as soon as they arrive at the slaughterhouse, then at every stage of processing (carcasses, cut…).
Nevertheless, if all these steps are rigorously checked, the consumer must respect too a few easy rules of hygiene : he is the latest link in the food chain and must pursue in the kitchen the efforts made upstream by the professionals of meat.

Does the calf treated with hormones still exist ?

The use of substances with anabolic action (as hormones) is forbidden by law.
The respect of regulations is controlled by the official departments and their laboratories which check the absence of forbidden substances on sampling of coat, urine or meat.
Breeders approve these checks that guarantee to the consumers the respect of the production standards and the marketing of safe and controlled products.