Top tips for calf rearing

Pick-up (Paddock to trailer)  

Ideally, calves should be picked up from the paddock twice per day so that they can be brought into the warm environment of the calf shed and fed that all-important colostrum within the first few hours of life.  If the weather is bad (wet and/or windy) then paddock pick-ups should be increased to 3 or 4 times per day.  

Treat all navels with a suitable iodine product (dip or spray) in the paddock, before they are put into the trailer.  

It’s important that the trailer used is regularly cleaned and disinfected to prevent it becoming a source of infection for our vulnerable newborns. Clean it daily and disinfect it weekly. It is also recommended that the floor of the trailer is covered with a non-slip, easy to clean surface (such as rubber matting or astroturf) to make it comfortable for calves to lie down. Don’t over-crowd the space and take care whilst moving the loaded trailer; drive slowly to ensure calves don’t fall over or trample each other.

Arrival at the calf shed

New calves should be introduced to the shed in a new calf pen to keep all calves of a similar age together. This prevents the youngest calves from being exposed to any potential infectious diseases that may be present amongst the older calves. Ensure this pen is not within close proximity to the shed’s sick calf pen.  

On arrival at the shed, re-treat all navels again with a suitable iodine product. 

MULTIMIN can also be given to newborn calves at the time of pick-up. A New Zealand trial (Bates et al, 2019) has shown there to be large benefits in treating calves with this product within the first 24 hours of life. The trial showed that calves treated with MULTIMIN experienced half the number of sickness and losses due to diarrhoea, navel infections and other diseases.  

All calves should receive 4 litres of gold quality colostrum within the first 6-12 hours of life. The main points to consider when considering colostrum management and the best product to be giving to newborn calves is outlined in the following information:  

Colostrum management (the 3 Q’s)

QUALITY   

Not all colostrum is made equal; many factors can affect colostrum quality including cow age, breed, dry cow nutrition and dry period length, first milking volume, and immune status of the cow. With so many variables to consider, the only real way of knowing if a colostrum is any good is by testing it and the easiest, most effective way to do this is with a Brix refractometer.  

A Brix refractometer measures how much antibody protein (Immunoglobulin or IgG) is in a sample of milk, by how much it bends or distorts light. Whilst it may sound intimidating at first, this is an easy procedure that takes under a minute to perform and has no ongoing costs or delicate parts.  

A reading of >22% can be considered ‘Gold colostrum’, while readings of <22% should be considered second tier. The level of IgG within a cow’s colostrum reduces significantly after calving - about 3.5% per hour! So, getting that first milking from freshly calved cows ASAP will help to ensure more of your colostrum is hitting the 22% mark. However, getting the colostrum from the cow is only half of the battle; colostrum degrades quickly when it is removed from the udder, so adequate preservation is paramount.   

Rules for preserving colostrum: 

When it comes to colostrum, cleanliness is above godliness. Bacterial contamination significantly degrades colostrum quality. Contamination can come from dirty udders, non-sterile cups/collection buckets, and of course dirty storage buckets. Make sure all pieces of the system are thoroughly clean when collecting colostrum and ensure storage buckets have lids.  

At room temperature, bacterial populations can double every 20-30 minutes so even small amounts of contamination can turn gold colostrum into less than adequate transition milk within a few hours. Refrigerating colostrum will extend the shelf life of your colostrum to 48 hours (about 2 days). Whilst adding potassium sorbate and refrigerating samples will allow colostrum to last for up to 7 days.  

Only mix ‘like with like’ colostrum i.e. gold colostrum should only be mixed with other gold colostrum collected on the same day.  

Frozen colostrum will store almost indefinitely but needs to be thawed gently with water <49 degrees C.  

All colostrum should be warmed to body temperature (38 degrees C) prior to feeding. 

QUANTITY  

Calves should receive 10-15% of bodyweight in the first 12 hours of life.
For the average size calf, this equates to 4-6 litres within the first 12 hours of life.
Ideally this should be given over 2 feeds within these first 12 hours.  

QUICKLY 

Calves are born with no antibodies (IgG), and they rely entirely on colostrum for their immunity in the first few weeks of life. To make things tricky their ability to absorb the antibodies decreases dramatically over the first 24 hours of life. By 6 hours old the absorption rate is halved, and by 24 hours old it’s all but gone! Therefore, ideally all calves should receive their required volume of colostrum within the first 6-12 hours of life.

Life in the calf shed 

An ‘all-in and all-out’ system is the preferred method of housing calves. Calves should be housed within similar age groups; ideally new calves will be housed together and then remain together within that group. This prevents exposing young (and more vulnerable calves) to the older calves in the shed, who may expose them to infectious diseases. If groups of calves do need to move between pens, then it’s important to clean and disinfect these pens between groups of calves/prior to a new group of calves entering a pen. The other management factors to consider when housing your calves include:  

FEEDING ROUTINE

Recent research has shown that calves fed twice per day for the first 2-4 weeks of life develop and grow to a level far superior than those animals fed only once a day. One feed per day alone in the early weeks of life cannot provide the calf with enough energy to grow, maintain an adequate immune response and play. Meal and hay/straw should also be provided to all calves to aid in rumen development. All calves should also always have access to a fresh, clean water source that is within their reach.  

REMEMBER: Remember: if you are using calf milk replacer on farm, this contains coccidiostats which is toxic to dogs. Make sure it is stored correctly; in a cool and dry environment, out of reach of your furry companions! 

HYGIENE

Calf pens should be regularly cleaned (ideally twice per week), and thoroughly emptied and disinfected in between mobs of calves. As well as maintaining a high level of hygiene within the walls of the calf shed itself, it is important to ensure that all equipment used (e.g. feeder, feeding tube, buckets etc.) are cleaned after each use and remain in very clean condition. Faulty materials (e.g. chewed teats) should also be replaced promptly. This will prevent the likelihood of bacteria establishing on the surfaces of these materials and being passed onto the calves potentially resulting in an infection. 

CALF HOUSING

The general recommendation for surface area is that each calf should receive 1.5-2.5m2. Pen orientation is key to ensure that an adequate level of sunlight is received each day, and ventilation is of huge importance for reducing the incidence of respiratory disease. However, it is a balancing act, as draughts within calf pens can also lower the air temperature and expose young animals to the elements, resulting in reduced growth rates. Ideally the partitions between individual calf pens will be solid (i.e. no nose-to-nose contact between pens); this is another strategy for minimising the transfer of disease between pens if an outbreak were to occur.  

A comfortable bedding, that drains freely and keeps calves warm and dry should also be used in each of the pens. We’re sure it comes as no surprise, but recent research has shown that calves reared on stones spend less time lying down and playing within their environment.  

Enrichment is also important for calves. Providing opportunities to explore and play can alleviate boredom and prevent calves from nibbling on their friends and sucking navels. Make sure that these are also regularly cleaned and disinfected.  Some ideas include:
 • Road cones 
• Swiss ball or football 
• Rope attached to the side of the calf pen  

Sick Calves

A dedicated sick calf pen is essential for all calf-rearing facilities. Any calf showing signs of illness should be promptly separated into this pen. The pen itself should be separated from the main pens (at least with solid partitions) and meet the same standards, in terms of bedding, access to feed and water etc., as the remainder of the calf housing system. Strict hygiene protocols should be implemented when handling calves separated in these pens;  

  • Wear gloves

  • Separate set of boots and wet weathers

  • Footbath (regularly changed) 

  • Handled last 

  • Fed last 

  • Separate equipment for this pen   

A thorough disinfectant of the pen should be performed between each animal (or group of animals) kept within it. Ensure that everyone at your place is aware of the protocols in place for caring for sick calves; this will prevent mishaps and disease spread. 

Electrolytes are of upmost importance when it comes to sick calf care, particularly during a scours outbreak. Ensure you have a sufficient supply of electrolytes available on hand for the season. It is important that scouring calves receive both electrolytes and milk feeds, and that the total volume of fluids they are receiving per day is higher than that of a healthy animal (to allow for fluid loss and dehydration). 

PLEASE CONTACT US for more information regarding when your calves may require electrolytes and our recommended volumes.