Dried milk as replacer?

[Jcran]

I just went to pick out two meat wethers as part of the deal I made last year when I sold a buckling to a lady in the next town for her breeding program. She showed me around, I picked out my meat wethers, and then she showed me her holstein steer calves that she is bottle raising. She pays $40 each for them and raises them on dehydrated milk from our local creamery. I asked her HOW/WHERE she got it and she said the dairyman who gets it then sells it to her. She pays $22 per 50# bag which is dirt cheap compared to the $72 per 50# bag of replacer I bought. Remember my fiasco with trying to feed replacer to 10 meat kids? Well, I thought, if its JUST dehydrated milk, then wouldn't it be the same as what I finally went to, plain old milk? She said she would get me the dehydrated milk next year if I want it. I said YES, but thought I'd ask you all. Evidently the bags are the sweepings from the production of dried milk that the creamery produces. They won't sell to the public but only to the dairy folks who belong to the creamery coop. Anyone out there use dried milk for kids?

[TennesseeMama23]

Is it dried whole milk (I wouldn't think so) or skim milk?

It would need to be full fat I would think.

[Jcran]

I bet you are right; however, she is feeding calves on it with no problem. I wonder if I added the usual canned milk and buttermilk if it would suffice?