Calculate precise mixing ratios for healthy calf development
Standard: 125g/L – 150g/L
Daily Batch Requirements
Total Liquid Mixture:0 L / day
Total Powder Needed:0 kg / day
Approx. Water Needed:0 L / day
Cost Per Day: $0
Cost Per Calf/Day: $0
Bags Per 30 Days:0
Mixing Instruction: To make 0 Liters (one feeding for all calves), mix 0 kg of powder with 0 Liters of warm water (approx. 45°C).
Understanding Calf Milk Replacer Ratios
Providing the correct nutrition during the pre-weaning phase is critical for the long-term productivity of dairy and beef cattle. This Calf Milk Replacer (CMR) calculator helps producers accurately measure the balance between solids (powder) and liquids to ensure optimal growth rates and digestive health.
How to Calculate CMR Concentration
The "Mixing Rate" or "Concentration" refers to the amount of milk replacer powder per liter of finished solution. Most standard programs recommend a concentration of 12.5% to 15% solids.
12.5% Solids: 125 grams of powder + 875ml of water = 1 Liter of milk.
15.0% Solids: 150 grams of powder + 850ml of water = 1 Liter of milk.
Example Calculation
If you have 10 calves being fed 2.5 liters twice a day at a concentration of 130g/L:
Total Daily Powder: 50L × 0.130kg/L = 6.5 kg of powder.
Water Volume: 50L – (approx displacement of powder) ≈ 45.5 Liters of water.
Practical Tips for Mixing
Always add the powder to half the volume of water first, whisk thoroughly to remove lumps, and then top up with water to the final desired volume. This ensures the concentration is exactly what you intended. Feeding temperature should ideally be between 38°C and 40°C at the point of consumption.
function calculateCMR() {
var numCalves = parseFloat(document.getElementById("calfCount").value);
var frequency = parseFloat(document.getElementById("feedFrequency").value);
var volPerFeed = parseFloat(document.getElementById("feedVolume").value);
var concentration = parseFloat(document.getElementById("solidsConcentration").value);
var bagWt = parseFloat(document.getElementById("bagWeight").value);
var bagPrice = parseFloat(document.getElementById("bagCost").value);
if (isNaN(numCalves) || isNaN(frequency) || isNaN(volPerFeed) || isNaN(concentration)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers in all fields.");
return;
}
// Calculations
var liquidPerDayPerCalf = volPerFeed * frequency;
var totalLiquidBatchDaily = liquidPerDayPerCalf * numCalves;
// concentration is in g/L, convert to kg/L
var powderPerLiter = concentration / 1000;
var totalPowderDaily = totalLiquidBatchDaily * powderPerLiter;
// Powder displacement factor is roughly 0.7L per kg
var waterDaily = totalLiquidBatchDaily – (totalPowderDaily * 0.7);
// Financials
var costPerKg = bagPrice / bagWt;
var dailyCost = totalPowderDaily * costPerKg;
var costPerCalf = dailyCost / numCalves;
var bagsPerMonth = (totalPowderDaily * 30.5) / bagWt;
// Single feeding batch (for the instruction box)
var liquidPerFeedingBatch = volPerFeed * numCalves;
var powderPerFeedingBatch = liquidPerFeedingBatch * powderPerLiter;
var waterPerFeedingBatch = liquidPerFeedingBatch – (powderPerFeedingBatch * 0.7);
// Display Results
document.getElementById("resTotalLiquid").innerText = totalLiquidBatchDaily.toFixed(1);
document.getElementById("resTotalPowder").innerText = totalPowderDaily.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resTotalWater").innerText = waterDaily.toFixed(1);
document.getElementById("resCostDay").innerText = dailyCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resCostCalf").innerText = costPerCalf.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resBagsMonth").innerText = bagsPerMonth.toFixed(1);
document.getElementById("resPerFeeding").innerText = liquidPerFeedingBatch.toFixed(1);
document.getElementById("resPowderFeeding").innerText = powderPerFeedingBatch.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resWaterFeeding").innerText = waterPerFeedingBatch.toFixed(1);
document.getElementById("cmrResults").style.display = "block";
}