It is common among farmers to focus all attention on the lactating cows and the bare minimum to the calf. This should however not be the case for any farmer who wants to improve production in the long run. Ensure that your calves start off healthy as this is going to determine the productivity of your cows in future. Healthy calves grow to be strong, resilient, and high yielding cows.
Calves are the most profitable investment in the farm. When calves are given sufficient pre-weaning diet, it translates to early age of service and calving and increases production.
Science has shown that every one gram gained above the average daily weight gain before weaning translates to four more liters of milk in a cow’s first lactation during its later stages of development. Well raised calves have better organ growth that improve longevity of the herd.
It all starts by ensuring that the calf is born in hygienic environment. Once the calf is born, take the calf’s body weight, and feed it with colostrum within six hours of birth. A calf is born without immunity and depends fully on the immunity supplied through its mother’s colostrum during its first days and week of life. Colostrum is the first milk from cows that has just calved. It provides nutritional, immune and growth factors. A calf should be given about 6 liters per day. Farmers should use teat bucket or bottle when feeding the calf.
After seven days of Colostrum feeding, a farmer can continue giving cow’s milk or give a good quality milk replacer available in agrovets at a rate of at least 6 liters per day. The 6 liter should be given in three portions of 2 liters each.
A farmer should aim at weaning the calf early (at most 3 months of age) when they have doubled their birth weight. Assuming a calf was born with 45kg body weight, you should wean that calf when it has achieved at least 90kg of body weight and it is able to consume solid feed.
A calf is born with only one functional stomach which is called abomasum for digesting milk. Their rumen is not fully developed so the calf is not able to digest solid feed. A farmer should focus in ensuring quick development of the rumen.
How do you achieve quick development of the rumen to enable calf to utilize solid feed such as hay?
- Introduce good quality chopped hay at 7 days of age. This will help expand the rumen.
- Provide good quality early weaner pellets, start with a handful a day, and increase amount depending on consumption. Pellets will speed growth of rumen and supplement nutrient to the calf for faster daily weight gain. By the time you are about to wean, the calf should be able to consume at least 1kg.
- Clean drinking water should be availed throughout from the age of three days and the calf allowed to drink as often as desired. Ensure the container you use to give the calf water is different from the one used to give milk.
- You can also provide the calf with mineral lick.
Growth rate at this stage should be 500grams – 800grams average daily gain.
Start gradual reduction of amount of milk given 3 weeks to weaning as you increase amount of hay and calf early weaner pellets. Once you wean, change from calf early weaner pellets to young stock pencils.
Calf needs to be kept in dry clean environment to reduce cases of diseases. It is advisable to keep each calf in its pen that is raised from the ground for good drainage.
If you give your calves proper care you will realize benefits in terms of lower veterinary costs, earlier insemination, herd longevity and a higher lifetime production.