2023-10-24 12:25:00
The good health of calves is a primary issue for all breeders. In order to have cattle in great shape, the main thing is to focus on adequate nutrition that corresponds to each stage of their early life. The technical director of Rumexperts and doctor of veterinary medicine, Léonard Théron, explains to us the essential phases for “successful calf success”.
According to veterinarian Léonard Théron, a calf’s life can be broken down into five phases: uterine, colostral, milky, pre-weaning and weaning. In order to better understand these key moments in the life of a young bovine, Rumexperts, a consultancy office in veterinary medicine and production management, examined more than 1,300 calves of the Belgian White-Blue and Holstein breeds.
Start one month before calving
The first stage that should not be neglected is therefore the uterine period. Indeed, certain calf pathologies become apparent even before their birth. In addition, it is important to emphasize that 60% of the young bovine’s natural defenses depend directly on what it may have received when it was in its mother’s womb. “This period is essential. If we miss this phase, practically everything we do afterwards will be a failure,” underlines Léonard Théron.
To have a successful calf, it is, first of all, imperative to ensure adequate nutrition is provided to the pregnant cow. Animals that have evolved considerably in recent years. “Between now and twenty years ago, the weight of calves has increased by around 15%. Moreover, on average, a Belgian White-Blue weighs 53 kg at birth. It’s obvious that if breeders feed their animals like their grandparents did, it won’t work.”
It will be necessary to ensure that the mother receives enough protein to meet her new needs. In this way, she will be able to transfer sufficient albumins to her calf. As a reminder, albumin is the most important blood protein, synthesized by the liver from nutrients present in the diet.
This expert recommends aiming for a crude protein content of around 13.5 to 14% in the ration, one month before calving. Léonard Théron also recommends taking one or two blood tests per year, during important moments such as being put into the stable.
Colostrum: an immune shield
At birth, the calf is devoid of any immune defenses. However, he can acquire this immunity from his first meal, thanks to colostrum. This liquid, which must be ingested by the calf in the first hours following its birth, is of crucial importance for the newborn. This is its primary source of nutritional intake, but also the only way to transfer maternal immunity. To obtain a healthy calf, these two elements must be combined.
Nutritionally, firstly, the calf must drink between 10 and 15% of its live weight. For example, if he weighs 50 kg, he will need to consume at least 2.5 liters of milk.
Regarding immune needs, the goal is to obtain colostrum that contains 80 g of antibodies per liter. “5 g of colostrum must be transferred per kg of calf. For a lactating calf, a minimum of 300 g of antibodies must be administered and 250 g to a calf intended for milk production,” indicates Léonard Théron.
To adapt the quantity to give according to the quality of the colostrum, refractometers can be used. They will make it possible to evaluate the antibody content. In this way, the breeder will be able to more easily assess the ideal volume that the newborn should drink.
In 800 and 900 g of daily gain
After obtaining its first line of immune defense through colostrum, the next step for the calf is the milk diet. Here too, it is essential to ensure that the animal receives sufficient nutritional intake for optimal growth. Note that under ideal conditions, he should gain between 800 and 900 g per day during his first three months.
For this phase, two options are possible: breastfeeding or hand feeding. According to Léonard Théron, neither prevails over the other. An udder-fed calf receives 100% of its mother’s intake, but this method carries potential risks such as accidents or the transmission of diseases by the cow.
Furthermore, when naturally breastfed, a calf generally consumes between 10 and 13 liters of milk per day, while on most farms practicing hand feeding, calves receive between 4 and 6 liters daily. An important difference… “Studies have shown that the diet that comes closest to natural breastfeeding is one that is greater than or equal to 4 liters per meal, twice a day. Farmers also have the option of providing milk richer in protein. The results show that the administration of 2 times 4 l of traditional milk or 2 times 3 l of protein-enriched milk gives similar results,” emphasizes Léonard Théron. Another possibility is to concentrate the milk powder, using 150 g per liter of water instead of the 125 g generally indicated on the packaging. The recommended amount is between 850 g and 1 kg of powder per day.
In addition, for this phase of milk nutrition, it must also be taken into account that the calf will not be able to value more than what it receives in its diet. Thus, from 0 to 3 months, between 75% and 80% of the quantity ingested results in weight gain in young cattle. This rate will subsequently decrease since an adult cow will only recover 15% of the material it has consumed.
Prepare for gentle weaning
To successfully wean, it is better to go slowly. “The best are periods of seven to ten days of transition during which we reverse the diets,” continues Léonard Théron. The ideal is to add a handful of calf starter, an early concentrate rich in sugar, from the first days of the calf’s life. The sooner the animal is exposed to this food, the more quickly its rumen can get used to this new diet.
The other important food? The water ! It too must also be made available to the cattle as soon as possible. “A calf that starts to have a little diarrhea will naturally compensate for this problem by hydrating itself.”
In order for the change in diet to take place in the best conditions, this expert also advises giving large meals. “Contrary to popular belief which says that by giving a lot of milk, it is more difficult to wean, studies show that a calf which takes large meals, such as 2 times 4 liters of milk, will be weaned more quickly than one which drinks several small quantities spread over the entire day. This relates to the volume of the stomach. The greater this is, the quicker the cattle will eat dry food.” If the weaning period depends on the farm and the type of speculation, it is advisable to start it when the animal can eat more than one and a half kilos of concentrate, and twice in a row. Once the calf is weaned, always check that it has access to water, fodder and a good quality ration rich in protein. Furthermore, if you have any doubts about any of these phases of the calf’s life, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian. The start-up Rumexperts also offers various services and tools, such as Nutrinetic, a special sampling kit to optimize the nutritional monitoring of cattle herds.
The most frequent errors: 60% non-drinkable water!
It is important to carry out water analyzes occasionally.
Several errors are common in cattle operations. Léonard Théron explains: “First of all, on dairy farms, there are very few in which we give less than 4 liters per day, whereas in Belgian White-Bleu, it is common. Some breeders think that milk will cause diarrhea. It is then necessary to give less, but it must be more enriched in powder. It’s like colostrum: the important thing is to have the right dose of essential elements.”
The second common mistake? Do not give water or it may become contaminated. Thus, during the study, 60% of formula water was undrinkable for newborns. It is therefore important to carry out water analyzes occasionally. But also to have impeccable hygiene so as not to contaminate breeding tools, such as colostral instruments.
The European Union, in the interest of animal welfare, now requires calves to be in pairs. The calves placed together must have less than 15 days of difference in life. This will provide benefits at different levels for the animal: intellectual, behavioral and immune.
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