1. Rearing Dairy Calves

2. Calf Rearing
The Aim:
To rear strong, healthy, well grown calves that will continue to grow steadily after weaning

3. Calves Require: Food Clean water Shelter TLC (tender loving care) Milk
Concentrate (pellets/grain)
Straw/hay
Clean water
Shelter
TLC (tender loving care)

4. Milk Each calf requires Daily milk must be a constant temperature
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

5. 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

6. Bedding 1” wide woven mesh/wooden slats over a concrete floor or
a deep litter system
rice hulls
wood chips/shavings
sawdust

7. Penning Individual penning for 1st 2 - 3 weeks is an advantage
Multiple penning according to weight and age

8. Feeding Methods
Rubber teats
Trough
Drum

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Choosing a Feeding System
Twice per day
Once per day
Ad Lib

14. 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

15. 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

16. Ad Lib
Calves have constant access to feed

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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 weeks, but pellets provided after weaning
500grams pellets/day consumed at weaning,

20. Weaning SIZE AT BIRTH Jersey : 25 - 30 kg (67 - 70 cm)
Friesian : kg ( cm)
SIZE AT WEANING
Jersey : kg (87cm)
Friesian : 70kg (92cm)
* Note: these are minimum weights

21. Weaning
AGE AT WEANING
Jersey : weeks
Friesian : 9 weeks

22. Whole Milk or Milk Replacer?
Fed at the rate of 650 g/calf/day
Whole milk
Fed at the rate of 4.0 l/calf/day

23. Milk Replacer
Cost for 16 kg bag ranges from $50 - $58 (for high fat replacers 20%)
Calves require 650 g/calf/day
At $ At $58
Costs/day =$50 x $58 x 0.65
=$2.03/calf/day $2.37/calf/day

24. 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

25. Total Feed Cost (A) Whole Milk $60.06 & Pellets $25.48 = $85.54/calf
(B) Milk Replacer $91.28
= $116.76/calf

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

27. Causes of Diarrhoea in Calves
Nutritional
Infectious
Bacteria
Protozoa
Viruses
Worms in older calves

28. 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

29. The Basics of Scour Treatment
Milk Restriction
Fluid therapy
Antibiotics
Scour Powders
Warmth & Care

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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.

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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 mls, 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. Preventing Disease 1. 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

40. Preventing Disease 1. 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

41. Preventing Disease 1. 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)

42. Preventing Disease 2. 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

43. Preventing Disease 3. 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

44. 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