Winter feeding – don’t just add fat!
The cold weather that comes with Canadian winters means that calf feeding programs need to be adjusted.
Maintenance requirements must be met for growth and development however ensuring strong growth has been linked to improved performance (earlier breeding and increased milk yield). In order to continue with setting a strong trend for growth, extra milk replacer needs to be fed during the winter. Wind, chill and wetness will demand more energy from the calf for maintenance.
Providing extra calories from… Continue reading
Optimizing your calf feeding program
The terms accelerated and enhanced have been used over the past 15 years to describe an increased plane of nutrition in calves.
However, calves require that increased nutrition in order to optimize growth.
Moreover, production objectives such as:
- decreasing age at first breeding,
- improving health status,
- and ultimately building a more efficient and productive dairy cow is now an expected outcome of a calf nutrition program.
The basis of the calf growth model
The calf’s digestive system is immature and… Continue reading
Automatic Calf Feeders and Group Housing
Principles and Experience
Introduction
Producers have traditionally raised calves in individual pens or hutches. This rearing system has had advantages of individual feeding, observation and reduced risk of cross-contamination. It is however, still labour intensive. Dairy cattle are naturally group-living animals. Group-housed calves can enjoy an early social interaction and learn to understand group behaviour. Research is now proving that well-managed group housed calf rearing systems can provide advantages for both calves and producers.
Automatic feeding systems for group housing… Continue reading
Water – an Essential Nutrient
Water accounts for 70-75% of young animal’s body weight and yet, is often overlooked as a necessary nutrient. Water is the nutrient required in greatest quantity by young animals.
What does the body need water for?
Basic metabolic functions need daily water intake to replace that which is continuously used or eliminated. I.e.: transporting nutrients (blood volume), excretion of waste products (urine and faeces), digestion of feed, maintenance of osmotic pressure, lubrication of joints and eyes, exchange of CO2 with… Continue reading
Happy Calves Drinking
The 2001 study done by Thomas et. al. (App. Anim. Sci., 74: 165-173) concluded that significant vocalization differences existed between groups… Continue reading
Grain-Fed Veal – Producer Objectives
Why Higher Protein?
Capitalize on the rapid early growth potential of young calves. Meet the needs of the rapidly growing bone and muscle for protein. This encourages greater lean tissue deposition without excess fattening.
Why Specific Protein : Fat Ratio?
Provide the correct protein to fat ratio at these higher feeding rates, to better promote muscle and skeletal growth so that increases in stature are attained. The high digestibility of lactose and the requirement for energy by the calf must… Continue reading
Enhanced Feeding Producer Objectives
Why High Protein?
Capitalize on the rapid early growth potential of young calves. Meet the needs of the rapidly growing bone and muscle for protein. This encourages greater lean tissue deposition and thus stature without excess fattening.
Why Specific Protein:Fat Ratio?
Provide the correct protein to fat ratio at these higher feeding rates, to better promote muscle and skeletal growth so that increases in stature are attained. The high digestibility of lactose and the requirement for energy by the calf… Continue reading
Developmental Research – enhanced feeding programs
Numerous studies, back as far as 1968, have examined the effects of feeding increased rates of milk or milk replacer to young calves. Recent developments in this area of heifer rearing have led to enhanced feeding programs.
Conventional calf feeding offers milk replacer, of 18-22% protein and 15-22% fat, at approximately 500g/d. This can support approx. 400g/d live-weight gain (LWG). For dairy replacement heifers of high genetic potential, this is not sufficient to meet optimum growth potential. Recent studies have… Continue reading
Program Summary Grober Excel
Product Profile
A specifically formulated high protein milk replacer for excellence in raising heifer calves.
The Need
Intensive feeding programs have been a major topic for discussion and presentation over the last year. Their aim has been to maximize genetic growth potential, get heifers to breeding weight sooner and also maximize lean tissue growth (height and weight).
A young animal can not be limit fed protein and energy and be successful or efficient in depositing protein as lean tissue growth.… Continue reading
Calf-Energy Balance and Immune Competence
Calves reared for veal are usually transported from the dairy farm to the rearing unit during the first 2 weeks of life. The vigour of calves after arrival at the rearing unit is dependent on:
- Their vitality before leaving the dairy farm (colostrum quality and quantity, timing and hygiene)
- Duration and nature of the transfer (climatic stresses, deprivation of milk and water, handling, noise)
- Changes in environmental conditions (mixing calves, high infection risk, change in housing system, climate, feeding level… Continue reading