......- ~ ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

Al..ABAMA ,..... .... COOPERATIVE~

Extens1on SYSTEM

CIRCULAR ANR-609

Feeding And Management Of The Dairy Calf: Birth To 6 Months

Raising young calves is one of the most often neglected jobs on the dairy farm but one of the most important economically. The future of the herd's milk production begins before the calves are born. How a heifer calf develops into her potential for milk production depends upon how well we raise and manage her. Holstein heifers must gain an average of at least 1.6 pounds per day from birth to calving, and Jerseys must gain 1.1 pound~ per day to atain the desired weight by 24 months of age. Too often, the future of the herd's production is in jeopardy because of the lack of attention to the care and feeding of the young calf.

The Mother's Dry Period Success with the calf starts with proper care of the

mother, especially during the dry period prior to calv-ing. The cow needs a 45- to 60-day dry period to al-low her to rebuild body energy reserves, regenerate milk secretory tissues, and develop the calf. Dry cows should be handled and fed so they will be in good but not fat condition at calving.

As calving time approaches, the cow needs to be moved to a clean, dry area. A clean pasture near the barn or house is an excellent area during favorable weather. A well-bedded, roomy area should be provided during bad weather. The amount of feed should be increased slightly so as to prepare the ru-men for higher levels of feed after calving.

Calving Time The cow should be observed closely as calving

time approaches and during delivery, but assistance should be given only if needed. Assistance at deliv-ery is a matter of experience and judgment. When in doubt, get help.

Calf mortality can be reduced if the following steps are taken at calving time: Clean the cow's udder if excess dirt is present. Clear the mucous from the calf's mouth and nos-trils. Gently sliding a clean straw or twig up the calf's nose will help by causing the calf to sneeze.

Dip the navel with a strong (7 percent) tincture of iodine soluton to prevent infections. Dry the calf and place it in an individual hutch or pen. Vigorous rubbing is needed if the calf is chilled. Feed colostrum (first milk) as soon as possible af-ter birth. A minimum of 10 percent of body weight should be fed within 6 hours of birth.

Feeding The Newborn Colostrum contains a much higher content of

energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals but lower lac-tose (sugar) than normal milk (Thble 1). Colostrum pro-vides an excellent source of nutrition, and the lower sugar content is less apt to cause scours (diarrhea in livestock). But, of more importance is the level of an-tibodies in the colostrum. Calves are born with no resistance to diseases and must acquire this resistance by absorbing antibodies from the colostrum. The calf can only absorb these antibodies within the first few

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antibody effectiveness. When given a choice, it is best to use colostrum from older cows, because they have had more opportunities to develop immunity than have younger cows. A "colostrometer" can be used when there is doubt about colostrum quality. This is an inexpensive way to insure that the colostrum you are giving is adequate.

Feeding The Calf Until3 To 4 Months Of Age For the first 3 days of life, feed the calf undiluted

colostrum daily at about 9 to 10 percent of its body weight. Thereafter, feeding programs may differ, but all will have some type of liquid feeding until the calf can eat a sufficient amount of dry feed to meet its growth needs. The liquid diet can be whole milk, ex-cess colostrum, non-salable milk, or a commercial milk replacer. All of these can be used satisfactorily if sound practices are followed. A good rule to follow in feeding whole or non-salable milk is to feed about 8 percent of the calf's body weigpt in pounds of milk during the first 2 to 3 weeks and then gradually reduce the quantity until the calf is weaned at 4 to 8 weeks. Feeding a set level of 1 gallon per day for Holstein calves until a week or so before weaning has worked fairly well. In no case should the calf be weaned un-til she is eating a minimum of 2 pounds of grain starter per day.

Non-salable milk from cows treated with antibi-otics for mastitis, uterine infections, or other problems can be used to reduce feed costs. However, mastitis organisms can be spread from one calf's mouth to the udder of another if calves are allowed to suck each other. These organisms are capable of surviving in the immature mammary gland to cause mastitis or blind quarters when the heifer comes into the milking string. Therefore, when waste milk is fed, calves should be housed so as to avoid contact with each other.

Partial or total substitution of milk or milk replacer can effectively reduce feed cost for calves. The 50 to 200 pounds of colostrum which a cow produces can-not be sold but should not be wasted; it is a nutritious food for calves. Research has shown that colostrum can be fed to calves at any age with good results. Colos-trum contains about 1.5 to 2 times as much total solids as normal milk, so it can be diluted with water at about 2 parts colostrum to 1 part water if available amounts of milk are limited. Intermittent feeding of colostrum and whole milk has been fed without causing diges-tive upsets. However, this needs to be done with care.

Excess colostrum is difficult to utilize efficiently. Soured or fermented colostrum can be used if it is handled properly. With this approach, excess colos-trum is stored in covered containers (preferably plas-tic), stirred daily, and fed within 2 weeks or less. Temperatures above 75 F cause excessive souring and

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result in poor calf performance. This problem can be reduced by the addition of appropriate acid preser-vatives. Adding 0. 7 percent propionic acid on a weight basis has been an effective method of increasing the shelf life" of fermented colostrum. The amount of colostrum to be fed and whether the colostrum should be diluted will depend upon the size of the calf and whether the colostrum is predominately first milk or milk from the second and third day. If the colostrum is predominantly first milk, it can be diluted at 2 or 3 parts of colostrum per 1 part of warm water. For example, 6 pounds of colostrum can be mixed with 2 pounds of water for an average size Holstein calf. You could use 4 pounds of colostrum and 1 to 2 pounds of water for smaller calves.

Calves can be raised successfully on a high qual-ity milk replacer. The 1988 National Research Coun-cil (NRC) recommends a minimum of 22 percent protein and 10 percent fat in milk replacers (Thble 3). However, milk replacers with 15 to 20 percent fat may help minimize scours and promote faster growth. A fiber level is not required, but low fiber (0.5 or less) indicates a predominance of high-quality milk products in the replacer. Milk protein sources in the replacer are a good indication of quality. The new-born calf is a simple-stomached animal that uses pro-tein from milk or milk by-products more efficiently than protein from plant products. Various sources of protein are listed in Thble 4 according to their accept-ability in milk replacers. Good quality animal fats are preferable to most plant sources, but homogenized soy lecithin at 1 to 2 percent is beneficial. The calf can use lactose (milk sugar) and dextrose but cannot use starch or sucrose (table sugar). These products should not be used in liquid feeds.

Milk replacers are mixed with water and fed like whole milk. The recommended amount will vary with different manufacturers, and it is usually best to fol-low the manufacturer's directions. In general, milk replacers mix better if placed on top of warm water. It is very important not to use too much water to pre-vent scours and to allow capacity for other feeds. Free choice access to automatic feeders filled with acidi-fied milk replacers has worked successfully if well managed.

Regardless of the type of liquid feeding used, there are some management considerations. It makes little difference whether the calf is fed from an open pail or by a nipple bucket. However, if nipple buckets are used, the nipple opening should not be enlarged. Some producers have widened the nipple opening to decrease the amount of time it takes a calf to suckle and thus decrease chore time. In some cases, this has caused "aspiration pneumonia:' This pneumonia is caused by the presence of milk in the lungs of the

calf which suckles extremely vigorously from a large nipple opening, taking on a large amount of mille This type of pneumonia does not respond to antibiotics be-cause it is not caused by an infectious agent. Whatever system is used, all pails should be cleaned after each feeding and between calves. Nipple buckets should be taken apart and cleaned, and this presents more of a problem for cleaning than an open bucket. Un-less the temperature is below freezing, milk or milk replacers can be fed without warming. However, warming does help with mixing and may help the chilled or disease-stressed calf.

It is best to feed and observe the calf twice a day, because this allows early detection of illness. Calves can be fed liquid diets once a day during good weather if (1) ample milk or a high quality milk replacer (22 to 24 percent protein and 20 percent fat) is fed; and (2) calves are observed at least twice daily. When feed-ing milk replacer, you may have difficulty getting a sufficient amount of dry matter Into calves on once-a-day feeding without causing scours.

Most calves are weaned at 5 to 8 weeks of age. However, calves may be weaned as early as 3 weeks if provided wi