What to offer calves comes down to personal choice.
Salt or Mineral
Choosing a mineral that can be fed free choice is one option for calves. As many areas are low in some trace minerals you can offer a mineral mix to calves that will help fill this void. We choose to offer mineral and no salt.
Hay Choice
Giving calves the opportunity to choose between different types of hay seems to work well. They prefer hay that is soft and pliable so it can be easily rolled in the mouth. Some days the preference is barley hay and other days it may be grass or alfalfa.
Healthy Calves
Allowing calves to have mineral and hay in front of them at all times can provide huge benefits. A calf that has hay and is chewing his cud is less likely to get sick with scours. Offering mineral keeps calves from eating dirt that could possibly be infected with bacteria that may cause illness. After all, healthy calves put on weight, grow, and are much nicer to look at.