10 Key Principle of Profitable Calf Rearing
Posted by Unknown in Buffalo, Bulls and Oxen, Calf, Cattle and Livestock, Cow on Sunday 27 January 2013
(NRM) Dr Bas Schouten Key Principles in Successful Calf Rearing
1. Calf Selection – Purchase a good quality calf
- Minimum weight 40kg
- No twins, sick, or induced calves
- Must be 5 days of age
- Dry and clean naval cord
- Bright and alert
- Check joints for swelling and pain
2. Colostrum – A good colostrum intake is vital for animal health and survival
- A calf needs at least 4 litres of colostrums within the first 12 hours after birth (ie 2 litres twice a day)
3. Entry into Barn
- Do health check (as in rule 1)
- Transport calves humanely in a covered vehicle with soft clean base of shavings, straw or bark at a minimum depth of 100mm. There must be enough floor space for calves to be able to sit - about 1 square meter per calf
- Spray cord with iodine before and after transport
- On entry into barn allow time for calves to de-stress by allowing rest
- Feed only electrolytes for the first 12 hours
4. Pen sizes
- Allow at least 1.5 – 2 square meters per calf
- No more than 10 – 12 calves per pen
- No more than 100 calves per barn
- Use more than one barn to control diseases and to separate age groups
- Separate old calves from young calves
- Avoid mixing calves – leave in one pen for the first 3 weeks
5. Housing – Calves must be sheltered for at least 3 weeks
- Calves should be dry and draught free
- Best is a barn that is twice as deep as it is wide
- Check for draughts at ground level
- Flooring – base of clay/sand with a slope to allow drainage
- Slats or raised flooring is often draughty and less suitable
- Bedding – straw, bark or shavings at least 200mm deep
- Add to bedding when required
- Control rodents and birds to prevent disease transfer
- There must be no water lying around barn or feeding areas
6. Ventilation and Drainage
- Good ventilation is critical to remove affluent gases.
- Ventilation should be adjustable by doors and windows on exterior walls in the barn
- High levels of ammonia indicates insufficient ventilation
- Drainage – see housing
7. Feeding Schedules
- Feed milk or a good quality Calf Milk Replacer (CMR) at the rate of at least 10% of the body weight daily (ie 40kg calf requires at least 4 litres a day)
- CMR – Follow the recommended mixing rate and volumes on the bag
- Make changes in volume or strength gradually and allow 3 days between changes
- When animals are under environmental or nutritional stresses, or when recovering from disease challenges, increase CMR concentrate to aid recovery
8. Milk and Milk Feeders
- Best results are achieved if calves are fed twice a day for at least 10 days
- Feed hot (40oC) for at least the first 14 days
- Teat feed – with a compartmentalised feeder
- Feed by the same person each day – preferable a woman
9. Concentrates and Roughage
- Feed a highly palatable concentrate ad lib from 5 days of age
- Allow access to hay or straw from 5 days of age
- Allow access to clean fresh water at all times
- Calves can be weaned off milk when consuming 1 kg concentrate per calf per day
- Continue meal/pellet supplement for at least 1 month post weaning off milk at the rate of 1.5 – 2 kg per day
10. Animal Health
- Sterilise barn, bedding and feeding utensils with a proven virucidal spray before entry into the barn and then twice weekly
- Carefully observe calves daily. Record and treat properly at therapeutic levels
- Autopics and faecal cultures and blood tests are valuable for the prevention and prevention of disease – consult with your vet
- For the treatment of calf scours remove calves from milk. Treat with a good quality electrolyte mixed at adequate levels to correct dehydration and to maintain fluid and energy balance. About 6 – 10 litres of electrolyte are required daily. Return to milk feeding when the scouring stops
