Managing dairy calf nutrition: cooperating with the microbiome from calf milk replacer to weaning transition Specific non-dairy ingredients such as yeast could be valuable for neonatal calf diets when properly incorporated into calf milk replacers. As an alternative, specific non-dairy ingredients such as yeast could be valuable for neonatal calf diets when properly incorporated into calf milk replacers. Considering the use of milk replacers, as the calf transition from pre-ruminant to ruminant (post-weaning), among other factors, the following factors can be considered: weaning strategies, rate of milk replacer feeding, interaction of milk and starter diets, milk replacer composition and benefits of potential non-dairy sustainable alternative ingredients to include in milk replacers. Commercial calf milk replacers often contain higher levels of minerals (ash fraction) and lactose than cow raw milk. Comparison of hypertonicity of whole milk and milk replacers (Wilms et al., 2019; Welboren et al., 2021).