The Puzzle Pieces to Healthy Kids - Sheep Day

RIGHT FROM THE START

PUTTING TOGETHER THE PUZZLE

Rearing Healthy Kids

48th Annual Grey Bruce Farmers’ Week 2014January 9, 2014Amanda Kerr, M.Sc.



At Birth: Functional monogastric Abiotic rumen and intestine Intestinal cell permeable for colostrum absorption Prolific organ and intestinal growth

First Weeks: Suckling reflex

Esophageal groove Milk proteins digested by rennet – abomasal clot Beginnings of rumen development with solid food

Weaning: Maturation of enzymes, rumen and microbe population

Kid Digestive Physiology


Intestinal Physiology and Colostrum


6 Weeks: Milk and Grain 6 Weeks: Milk and Hay


Digestive Enzyme Activity


Microbes grow best when:• Supply of energy and protein are in synch

Small and frequent meals for a small abomasum Reduce ruminal drinking Healthy rumen, lower chance of bloat

Enabling Rumen Growth Water intake drives grain intake


Able to consume approximately 250g/day of a grain ration Providing free choice water will help Willing to eat roughage

Not under physiological stress from illness, social mixing

Step down weaning best Over 7-10 days is ideal

When is the kid physiologically ready for weaning?


Digestive Physiology Questions

Rumen development takes time,and can be

encouraged by grain intake.

Water intake drives grain intake

Colostrum=

AntibodiesEnergy


Doe colostrum Farm-specific antibodies Must be the first colostrum for highest quality

Disease risk? Low quality or limited colostrum? Poor mothering? Clean, disease-free frozen doe or cow’s colostrum

Thaw in bucket of hot water, do not microwave or heat in oven

Colostrum replacer (not a colostrum supplement) Guaranteed disease-free and level of IgG’s Broad spectrum antibodies High protein (43%), with 14% as IgG proteins, and fat (23%)

Practical Nutrition - Colostrum


Quantity • 100 mL directly after birth• MINIMUM 150-200mL per kg of body weight

Feed every 3-4 hours - within 60 minutes of birth

Bottle, syringe, tube-feed Mindful of aspiration into lungs, or over-filling stomach

Be clean and patient

Practical Nutrition - Colostrum


Not only provides antibodies!

FAT = Survival!

A small neonate:Large surface area:volume

ratioSmall brown fat and body fat

reserves

The FUNDAMENTAL Puzzle Piece!Colostrum

http://calfcare.ca/colostrum-management/antibody-absorption/


Personal choice Management, saleable milk, herd disease status,

convenience, belief in nature’s way.

A quality milk replacer can bring: Efficiency for frequent feedings; Consistent high quality nutrition; Supplemental vitamins, minerals, and other

ingredients Consistent and easy acidification

Whole Milk or Milk Replacer?Remember the 5 C’s of Neonate Care When Making

the Choice


• Fat in milk replacers give more energy in a smaller meal• Smaller meals more often – less potential

for bloat

• Fat is broken down in the small intestine• Bile acids, lipase• Passive transport into the blood stream,

then enter the liver for “repackaging”

• Too much fat or hard to digest fats = greasy feces (similar to scours)• Highly unsaturated fats harder to digest in

young

• Fat = satiety

Milk Replacers - Fat


Protein is broken down by a variety of enzymes Milk proteins are 90-97% digested

Unless heat damaged Quality testing for scorched particles

Whey proteins versus skim milk proteins Whey = faster enzymatic breakdown and

absorption Skim milk = forms a clot in the stomach, slow

release of protein, satiety effect Alternative proteins

Plant: hydrolyzed soy and wheat gluten, pea or bean flours Better able to digest 4-5 weeks and older

Milk Replacers - Protein


Simple to highly complex structures Lactose (lactase) = simple milk sugar, easy to digest energy Starch (amylase) = harder for a young animal to digest Fiber (rumen microbes) = mature gut Insulin regulation in body

Highly complex MOS, FOS, glucans

Pre-biotic sources Food for the “good” large intestine microbes

Milk Replacers - Carbohydrates


Organic acid is used to lower pH of the milk replacer Health benefits by lowering pH of stomach

Slows microbial growth

Milk Replacers – 2 Acids One acid to lower the pH of the milk, one acid is

active in the stomach An acidified milk replacer is only as good as

the manager

Acidified Milk Replacers pH 5.50-5.75Native Milk pH 6.40-6.60


Dilute formic acid to preserve whole milk or milk replacer Pasteurization over a couple of hours

Not an immediate kill

Must agitate liquid at least 3x daily

pH must be lower than 4.5 Above this = bacterial growth, cottage cheese

On-Farm Acidified MilkpH 4.0-4.5


GYADC 2011 Buck Kid TrialAcidified Milk Replacer Improves Treatment Response

Acidified

Non-Acidified

Mortality

Healthy kids

VS.


Generalized Feeding Schedule for an Average Kid

Kid Age Amount to feed/feeding # feedings/day Milk (replacer) per kid per

day

Day 1 250 mL 4 Colostrum (or replacer)

Day 2 250 mL 4 1 L total solution150 g powder

End Week 1 300 mL (approx) 3 1 L total solution150 g powder

End Week 2 500 3 1.5 L225 g powder

Week 3-6 800 2 1.6 L240 g powder

Adjust amounts and frequency during cold weather.Always provide free choice water.


Nutrition Questions?


The border pieces of the kid puzzle – first 48 hours: Clean, warm, kidding area

IgG’s aren’t the only things absorbed by the gut! Prompt removal from doe if to be bottle-fed

Easier transition for the kid Clean, quick, quality colostrum Extend colostrum or supplement feeding

Winter or disease outbreak survival Warm, draft-free neonate pen Heat lamps

Number of kids, temperature

Environment and Kid Health




2 types of scours: Disease – bacterial (e.g. E.coli, clostridia), protozoan (e.g.

cryptosporidium), etc. Toxin production from bacteria = cellular water loss Attack of the gut epithelial lining

Mal-digestion, scar tissue

Nutritional – too large of a meal, improper mixing of milk powder, poor quality/hard to digest milk replacer

But wait! It is possible to manage both.

The Science of ScoursUnderstanding the Enemy

The Science of ScoursUnderstanding the Enemy

Critical Control Points of Scours: Colostrum Adequate energy, hydration Small, frequent meals Clean, dry bedding Warm pen Adequate space per kid Isolate sick kids to hospital pen Wash your hands, bottles, nipples,

buckets, use separate forks, shovels, boots between sick and healthy groups

Dehydration =

lethargy, poor

appetite, death


Health and Environment

QuestionsEarly

Intervention is Key!

Daily Health

MonitoringAttitude, Suckle Reflex,

Temperature, Fecal Score

Warm, Dry

Bedding,Space


Water Temperature Too high (60°C +)

Denature proteins, decrease solubility and digestibility Vitamins are disintegrated Poorer emulsification of fats = nutritional scours

Too low Poor solubility Improper liquefaction of fats = nutritional scours

Water hardness Hard water = flocculations (acidified milk replacers

prone)

Trouble Shooting Milk Replacers


Mix for the indicated period of time Shear force creates behaviour issues

Very high mixing speed Very thin blade on mixer

Clean utensils, buckets Consider annual water testing - bacteria

Store opened milk replacer bags in a sealable container Not in the milk house Hot, humid environments = clumping, poor

mixability



My kids aren’t drinking! Properly trained on feeder?

Left with doe too long? Milk left out too long? Too much formic acid added? Old milk replacer used? Improper mixing? Improper storage? Illness? Competition?



Efficient way to provide small, frequent meals Continuous nutrition = overcome illness, cold

weather

Guaranteed consistency with a milk replacer Disease-free Consistent energy, protein, fat, mineral and vitamins Supplemental ingredients for health and growth

Divert less saleable milk

Automating Kid Care

Mob Feeders

Mob feeders• Offer milk 3x a day for

first 2-3 weeks• Leave milk out no

longer than 2 hours• Bacterial growth• Separation of milk

• After 3 weeks of age, milk can be offered 2x daily

Areas to Watch: Competition Spoilage Waste




Automatic Feeder Mechanics 101

6 nipples = 120 kids capacity Programmable to drink in 40-50 minute cycles Program number of visits, minimum and maximum

meal sizes If kid does not drink minimum, refuse amount added to

next meal, visit interval reduced Program step-down weaning Software program to track intakes, drinking speed

Can pair with a scale to record weight gains Automatic calibration and clean cycles



Getting Kids on Automatic FeedersMay take up to 1 week to fully train all kids on

machine

Feed via bottle to ensure adequate colostrum and energy delivery first! Up to 4 days, avoiding human dependence

6 Training Tips: Suckling reflex established Guide kids to feeder – small groups work best Patience Tough love does not work, unlike calves Kids are individuals, flock mentality does not apply Regularly check intakes and health


Education

The Puzzle Pieces to Healthy Kids - Sheep Day