Rearing Dairy Calves

Calf Rearing

The Aim:

To rear strong, healthy, well grown calves that will continue to grow steadily after weaning

Calves Require:

Food – Milk– Concentrate (pellets/grain)– Straw/hay

Clean water Shelter TLC (tender loving care)

Milk

Each calf requires – minimum 2 litres of good colostrum within 6 hours of

birth. – another 2 litres within next 6 hours – and 2 litres within the next 12 hours

Daily milk must be a constant temperature– warm or cold

Don’t over feed

Facilities

Well ventilated Easily (and regularly) cleaned Sufficient room to prevent overcrowding Allow 1½ - 2 sq. metres /calf At least 5½ cubic metres of total shed

volume/calf

Bedding

1” wide woven mesh/wooden slats over a concrete floor

or a deep litter system

– rice hulls– wood chips/shavings– sawdust

Penning

Individual penning for 1st 2 - 3 weeks is an advantage

Multiple penning according to weight and age

Feeding Methods

Rubber teats Trough Drum

Rubber Teats

No difference in growth between bucket fed and buckets with teats

Easier to train calf to drink from a teat– can save time

Some evidence scouring calves maintain fluid intake better if fed by teat

Teats and tubes need extra washing up

Trough

May be used with/without rubber teats Must be 1 teat/calf If using without teats, allow at least 40cm of

trough per calf Best to match calves for drinking speed and

age

Troughs

ADVANATAGES Reduced labour Able to feed calves at

any location

DISADVANTAGES Possible greater range

of milk intake More training required Not suitable to Ad Lib -

difficult to cover

Drums

Used with teats and tubes - similar to troughs Suitable for ad lib feeding because it is easily

covered At least 1 teat per calf should be provided to

avoid competition and a range of weaning weights

Choosing a Feeding System

Twice per day Once per day Ad Lib

Twice per Day

ADVANTAGES Able to feed more

liquid/day - better growth rates

Small calves do better with more frequent feeds

Calves receive attention twice/day

More even growth rates & weaning weights

DISADVANTAGES Labour intensive, at a

particularly busy time on the farm

Once per Day

ADVANTAGES Labour saving Greater flexibility of

feeding times Greater flexibility of

place of feeding Calves receive individual

attention Even growth rates and

weaning weights

DISADVANTAGES Calves may be not

looked at often enough Calves may not

consume enough milk for good growth rates

Ad Lib

Calves have constant access to feed

Ad Lib - Advantages

Substantial labour saving Faster growth rates - earlier weaning possible Calves don’t need to be handy Calves don’t bellow Feeding can be done at any time of the day

Ad Lib - Disadvantages

More costly in terms of milk input Large variability in liveweight gains Calf growth can be poorer at weaning if rumen

not developed well enough Calves not well observed for health problems Some calves slow to learn how to use system

Early Weaning

Calves can be weaned as early as 4 - 6 weeks Once daily milk offered to encourage pellet intake Access to good quality (20% protein) calf pellets from 1

week of age (or earlier) Exclusion from pasture until after weaning to

encourage pellet intake Milk removed after 4 - 6 weeks, but pellets provided

after weaning 500grams pellets/day consumed at weaning,

Weaning

SIZE AT BIRTH Jersey : 25 - 30 kg (67 - 70 cm) Friesian : 35 - 40 kg (73 - 77 cm)

SIZE AT WEANING Jersey : 60kg (87cm) Friesian : 70kg (92cm)

* Note: these are minimum weights

Weaning

AGE AT WEANING Jersey : 10 - 12 weeks Friesian : 9 weeks

Whole Milk or Milk Replacer?

Milk Replacer Fed at the rate of 650 g/calf/day

Whole milk Fed at the rate of 4.0 l/calf/day

Milk Replacer

Cost for 16 kg bag ranges from $50 - $58 (for high fat replacers 20%)

Calves require 650 g/calf/day At $50 At $58

Costs/day =$50 x 0.65 $58 x 0.6516 16

=$2.03/calf/day $2.37/calf/day

Whole Milk - Feeding 4.0 L/calf/day

May Fat 4.55% Protein 3.52%Price = 0 .38c/ for 4.0 L = $1.52/calf/day

June Fat 4.55% Protein 3.52%Price = 0.39c/L for 4.0 L = $1.56/calf/day

July Fat 4.55% Protein 3.52%Price = 0.36c/L for 4.0 L = $1.44/calf/day

August Fat 4.55% Protein 3.52%Price = 0.30c/L for 4.0 L = $1.22/calf/day

Total Feed Cost

(A) Whole Milk $60.06

& Pellets $25.48

= $85.54/calf

(B) Milk Replacer $91.28

& Pellets $25.48

= $116.76/calf

Calf Health Problems

Diarrhoea “Scours” Worms Pneumonia & Respiratory Disease Clostridial Infections Umbilical Hernias & Abscesses Intestinal Accidents Bloat Broken Limbs Pink-eye

Causes of Diarrhoea in Calves

Nutritional Infectious Bacteria Protozoa Viruses Worms in older calves

What causes calves to scour

Nutritional– Undigested milk entering the intestines– Due to overflow

Malfunctioning of stomach cannot digest milk Overfeeding

Infectious– Due to excessive leakage of fluid from the body into

the intestine

The Basics of Scour Treatment

Milk Restriction Fluid therapy Antibiotics Scour Powders Warmth & Care

Worms

Worms can be present in the intestine or in the lungs

Picked up from paddocks (in faeces) Can cause disease by themselves and make

calves more susceptible to other diseases As a guide, calves should be wormed every 3

months after weaning until they enter the herd Alternate between oral and pour on drenches

Pneumonia & other Respiratory Diseases

Individual cases often occur. Large outbreaks are more common if calves are housed

Calves will often appear sick and will usually exhibit coughing and/or shortness of breath if exerted

Often very wet around mouth Treatment is best aimed at firstly correcting

problems with housing etc. and secondly antibiotics to prevent lung damage and death

Clostridial Diseases

These are a group of diseases that will usually result in sudden death

Vaccination against these diseases is essential life insurance for your calves

Umbilical Hernias

Hernias are non-painful, soft swelling around the navel area that usually are present from the time of birth

If felt carefully, a hole can be detected through the skin Larger or persistent hernias may require veterinary

attention to allow closure If at any time a hernia becomes sore or suddenly larger

seek veterinary attention.

Umbilical Abscess

Painful to touch swellings around navel area Some evidence of discharge may be seen Usually require veterinary attention Correct treatment usually involves surgical

drainage and possibly treatment with antibiotics

Intestinal Accidents

Calves may appear bloated and the bulging usually involves the whole abdomen

Calf is normally distressed and often in pain May pass black or obvious blood in faeces Immediate veterinary attention is required

Bloat

Occasionally calves bloat for what appears to be no specific reason

Calves bulge initially on their left side and are not normally distressed about it

Administering oil (paraffin or cooking) by mouth, about 100-200mls, is often sufficient to resolve the problem

A higher rate of bloat occurs in calves that are fed from buckets at ground level

If calf appears to be distressed seek urgent veterinary attention

Broken Limbs

Not too hard to pick these These injuries are often amenable to casting

and usually heal well Best if simple fracture below the knees with

little or no damage to the skin

Pink-Eye

Bacteria spread by flies Early signs include reddening of eye with excessive

tear leakage Later stages of the condition involving whitening of the

eye and possible ulceration or damage to surface of the eye

Treatment consists of antibiotics, eye, protection and reducing fly numbers (ie Fly Repellants)

Veterinary attention should be sought in cases with ulceration or apparent damage to the eye

Preventing Disease1. Colostrum

Colostrum is full of antibodies to fight disease Calf can only absorb these antibodies into

blood for 24 hours after it is born Without colostrum calves cannot fight

diseases….like having AIDS Must ensure that calves get enough enough

colostrum

Preventing Disease1. Colostrum

Aim to feed– 2 litres of good colostrum in first 6 hours– 2 litres of good colostrum in following 6 hours– 2 litres in next 12 hours

Continue feeding fresh colostrum for as long as possible as to help calves fight disease

Preventing Disease1. Colostrum

Studies have shown that in most cases leaving the calf on its mother is not enough

Most calves need to be given extra colostrum Use good colostrum which is obtained from

middle aged cows. Avoid heifers (Too little antibodies) and big producing cows (Too dilute/watery colostrum)

Preventing Disease2. Environment

Calves should be kept in a dry and draught-free environment

Adequate air movement should occur above the height of the calves

Bedding should be clean, deep, dry and regularly changed or added to

Each calf should have a minimum of 1.5m2 of space

Preventing Disease3. Vaccination

Presently we can vaccinate against– E coli scours– Salmonella– Clostridial Diseases ( “5 in 1” or “7 in 1”)

Vaccinating is an aid in preventing disease Vaccinating is not a substitute for good

management, planning and hard work

Where does Johne’s Disease fit into all this?

Calves are most susceptible to infection with the bacteria that causes Johne’s disease from birth till 1 year old

The first 30 days is the highest risk Most likely source of infection is faeces from

infected cow Minimise the contact that the calves have with

adult faeces in the first 12 months of life