Grober Nutrition

Posts Tagged ‘veal calves’

This information is inteneded for those raising veal calves, housed individually.

• Calves should be fed twice everyday.
• Missed feeding means missed growth.
• Calves should be fed as close to 9-12 hours apart as possible for optimum appetite and digestion. These times should remain as constant as possible as calves are creatures of habit. Irregular feeding times will result in more refusals, especially with older calves.
• Two hours after feeding give water to all calves that didn’t drink half or more of their milk. They need the fluid to retain full hydration, in particular if they have a temperature.
• It is a good practice to give weak calves electrolytes two hours after morning feeding for the first 10-14 days. It will help them maintain hydration and good general health, and prevent scouring.
• All calves should have access to water 24 hours a day.
• Check the barn in the evening, after feeding, for bloat, missed sick calves and for air control problems.

The feeding schedule should be adjusted daily to maintain the feed levels outlined on the label. Changes should be initiated when:

• The calves are drinking well and are eager?
• The manure behind the calves indicates needed change.
• Manure should be checked twice daily for young calves before changing feed schedules and daily for older calves.
• Calves should be kept on the Grober feeding schedule throughout the feeding program.

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 oxygen in the lungs, regulation of body temperature – especially heat release by the lungs and urine.

Bacteria in the rumen can only survive in a water environment. Most of the water that enters the rumen is from free water intake. Milk or milk replacer do not constitute free water. They bypass the rumen due to the esophageal groove that can be active until 12 weeks of age. The intake of water stimulates dry feed intake (Kertz et al 1984) and promotes greater total feed intake (Thickett et al, 1981), which leads to improved performance and health.

Kertz, A.F. 1984 J.D.S. 67: 2964-2969

During periods of water loss, (e.g. scours or hot, humid weather) or water restriction (ice, dirty water, inadequate supply) reductions in body fluid negatively impacts metabolism and feed intake. Even mild dehydration (1-5% loss of body weight from water loss), with symptoms not visible to the human eye, reduces metabolic efficiency and impairs ability to regulate body heat (ear and leg extremities feel cool to the touch). As dehydration becomes more severe (9-11% of body weight), calves become depressed. When dehydration reaches 12-15% of body weight, calves may die. Calves need water!

How much water does a calf need?

An animal obtains its water from drinking water, water present in its food and metabolic water.
NRC (2001) Water intake during 1st week of life about 1kg/day increasing to over 2.5kg/d during 4th week of life.

Typical water intake for Holstein calves
at 10-26 oC ref Penn State

What effects water intake?

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 be balanced for fat and protein.

Why Higher Feeding Rate?

Feeding rate determines energy intake, which sets limits on the growth potential.
Grober VG is fed at a higher concentration (125g/l) than conventional milk replacers to meet growth demands of a healthy feeding program.

Milk Replacer Comparison

*ref: NRC 2001 for 50kg calf.

Calf Growth: What do you want?

• Transition to functioning ruminant
• Rapid growth of frame (skeleton and muscle)
• Optimal fat deposition
• High health status.

Rate of gain should not be the sole means of assessing the efficiency of a nutrition program for milk replacer fed grain veal calves.

Potential Advantages

• Improved health and immune system when calves are gaining at higher levels. (IGF-1 important regulator of cells of the immune system, IGF’s correlated to growth rates- Drackley)
• Improved feed efficiency and returns on feed investment. Feed efficiency is an important measure of how an animal utilizes the nutrients it eats and converts them into products, e.g. muscle, fat, structural growth. Ration, management and environmental factors may affect feed efficiency.

Potential Disadvantages

• Increased investment of money during milk feeding period.
• Attention to management required for success – to avoid digestive upsets, maintain high levels of sanitation, providing adequate, clean water at all times. Starter intake of 900grams per day for 3 consecutive days must be achieved before weaning can occur.

Calf Rearing Objectives

Optimum calf growth is a function of the time necessary to achieve market weight.

In raising Holstein grain veal calves, the largest cost input are calves and feed. By feeding for the highest gains possible in the liquid feeding period, you will get the greatest value for the cost of milk replacer and starter.
The calf’s genetic potential to grow is imprinted at birth. The ability to utilize the nutrients in milk replacer and more so the ability to consume ever increasing amounts of liquid feed is in direct relation to the volume of feed the calf feeder offers the calf.

Underfeeding a calf will not only impact its growth potential but also its health and ability to overcome stress challenges.

A properly designed milk replacer and feeding program should allow you to have gains approaching 500 g/d, given proper health, sanitation and management.

Andre Roy MSc.
Sally Charlton BSc. (Hons)
April 2003

Ontario and Quebec dairy herds produce approximately 400,000 male calves annually. These calves are destined for several hundred veal producers.The goal of grain fed veal producers is to achieve the desired finish at the desired weight and age. The market-ready calf is typically 250-295kg at an age of 25-30 weeks. Finished average daily gains should be 1.13kg or better and feed conversion should be 3.5-4.0 kg per kg of live-weight gain.

The Holstein calf has an ability to grow rapidly and genetics, management, environment and nutrition dictate this growth.

NRC 2001 – major change is to provide the foundation to think of calves as we have of older animals, in that nutrient requirements are not static but depend on desired rate of gain, body size and environment. The new NRC considers the approach that calf nutrition is dynamic, just as for older cattle. In other words, the product-orientated ‘one size fits all’ mentality of calf raising, (i.e. a single milk replacer formulation or feeding regime is assumed adequate for all calves) gives way to calculating requirements for growth and health and then designing diets to meet those requirements.

Conventional calf feeding offers milk replacer, of 20% protein and 20% fat, at approximately 400-450g/d. Using the NRC 2001, this does not provide sufficient energy to meet high growth requirements of grain-fed veal calves. While energy intake is the main driver of bodyweight gain, protein intake can influence both BWG and its composition.

e.g.

The nutritional balance of energy, protein and essential vitamins and minerals for very young calves to encourage high DM intakes cannot be achieved from concentrates or forages because of the limitations in: early dry-feed intake, stomach capacity, rumen development, and lower digestibility of concentrate ingredients.

(Leadley and Sojda, 1996.) To help overcome the weaning growth depression, it is suggested that milk feeding be increased during the first 3-4 weeks of life, followed by restricted allowances during the next 1-2 weeks to encourage development of solid feed intake.
Increasing milk intake early→increase growth→ more vigorous calves→ smoother weaning transition→ less stress and growth depression.

With the Grober VG feeding program, the milk replacer is designed to meet the correct nutrient balance for high growth rates of young veal calves, resulting in healthier and well-proportioned calves that can achieve their production goals with a high efficiency.

Andre Roy MSc.
Sally Charlton BSc. (Hons)
April 2003

Product Profile

A specifically formulated calf milk replacer for excellence in raising GRAIN VEAL CALVES.

The Need

Young Holstein bull calves require a quality milk replacer to ensure a healthy start. Young calves that have been transported are severally energy deficient and under stress. The best way to counteract these conditions is to provide a dry clean environment and offer a quality milk replacer that will provide the necessary protein and fat to allow the calf to establish itself and the growth pattern to achieve, maximum gain.

The Feeding

In general Holstein bull calves are fed twice a day receiving approximately 2 litres per feeding.

Grober VG 21/19 is designed for maximum growth and early development of muscle tissue of young bull calves and should be offered in concentrations of 125grams per litre of water and upwards of 3 litres per feeding twice a day once the calves are started.

The liquid feeding program should continue until the calves are consuming 900 grams of calf starter per day for 3 consecutive days.

The availability of clean fresh water is critical to dry matter intake and overall calf health and performance.

Economics

The liquid feeding portion of a grain veal program is the most critical and expensive portion of the rearing program. The limited time-scale of grain-veal production and the specific requirements for high daily live weight gain and muscle development requires careful attention to detail.

It is essential that the calves receive maximum nutrient uptake via a high quality milk replacer to maximize rate of gain and growth potential. The cost of a milk replacer, in part is determined by the quality of the ingredients that are used. The quality of the ingredients also reflects on the calf’s ability to utilize the nutrients and convert those nutrients to meat and structural growth while allowing development of the immune system.
Grober VG calf milk replacer is part of a full management program. Please contact Grober Animal Nutrition for more details.
Andre Roy MSc.
Sally Charlton BSc. (Hons)
April 2003

Water Supply

Before starting calves, take a water sample to your local lab and have it checked for bacteria, nitrates, iron sodium and ph.

Water left in a storage tank between calf crops can become a prim source for bacteria that cause scouring. This is a prime place for bacteria to grow and cause scouring.

Feeding temperature should not be lowered during the summer months, instead provide cool water 2 hours after feeding.

Scour problems

A scouring calf should be taken off milk replacer immediately and given Electrolyte solution and sufficient water to prevent dehydration.

Animal Health

Walk through calves before and after every feeding to find problematic calves and decide treatment. 

Always mix medication and vitamins to milk replacer when solution is at feeding temperature. Hot water can denature vitamins & destroy some medications. 

Mixing

Mix your feed for at least 3-5 minutes – a timer should be used. 

To properly mix fats in water, mix milk replacer at 65ºC or greater. This should be the temperature after the milk replacer powder has been added. A good thermometer is a worth while investment. The most important factor in fat digestion and maximum growth is good fat dispersion in the mix.

Housing

Check the conditions of the stall daily. Look for broken and missing floor boards.

A high pressure sprayer should not be used to clean the floors in the rooms when calves are less than four weeks old.