Calf and Heifer Nutrition

Amin Ahmadzadeh Animal and Veterinary Science Department University of Idaho

Other Sources: Dairy Cattle Science, 1st edition. Editor Tyler Slides courtesy of Dr. H.D. Tyler, Iowa State University

Raising Heifer
Provide replacements for cows leaving the herd Improve genetics and production raised heifers economically Future investment
Minimize ----------------------------

Try for rapid growth and development

Minimize ---------------increase --------------------

 Goal is to minimize calf mortality and morbidity to allow for rapid growth and development

Starts with the cow clean -------------------------------- aid in calf delivery to avoid ---------------------- dystocia (difficult birth) leads to stillbirths neonate mortality colostrum deprivation

Dystocia
Any abnormal or difficult delivery process
Poor communication between the fetal calf and its dam Malpresentation of the calf Difficulties due to inappropriate assistance

Scoring system for calving ease

5 point system Score of 1 indicates ------------------------------------- Unobserved calvings are scored 1 by definition

Fig 45-1. Malpresentations, such as this backwards presentation, are more common in multiparous than in primiparous cows (Courtesy of Howard Tyler, Iowa State Univ.)

Fig 45-2. Mechanical calf jacks can generate over 1700 pounds of force on the calf and should only be utilized in extreme situations and with extreme care (Courtesy of Iowa State University, Iowa State Univ.)

Care of the Born Calf

Stimulation of Respiration
Remove the excess mucus from the nasal passage and mouth Removal of accumulated --------------------------- Lifting the calf by the hind legs Applying bilateral pressure on the ribcage and forward motion from the abdomen to the neck

Tickling nasal passage with a piece of straw

Care of the Born Calf

Physical examination and identification of the calf
Examination of the mouth and the nose
Undesirable ---------------------------------- Extra attention to calves born with assistance Freemartin -------------------------------------------------- Separation from --------------------------

Care of the Born Calf

Navel disinfection (within 2 hr of birth)
Reduce the risk of ------------------------------------------------------------ Saturate the navel with ------------------------------ Use laboratory squeeze bottle Navel cord and area around it should be saturated

REMEMBER!! Poor sanitation and mismanagement of the calving area cannot be overcome by navel dipping

The desired outcome of a successful reproductive program is a health, live calf (Courtesy of Mark Kirkpatrick, Pfizer Animal Health)

Colostrum Management
Colostrum Collection
Bloody colostrum and colostrum collected from a cow with ---------------- must be discharged Using colostrometer & after cooling down, check the quality (> ---------- mg/ml IgG) Extra high quality colostrum should be stored in 2 qt. jugs and kept below 0OC Indicate the IgG Concentration on the jug @ 4OC for max. 2 days

Colostrum Management
Colostrum feeding
--------------------- of top quality colostrum (70-100 mg/ml IgG) within < 4 hr after birth A second ------------of colostrum before -----------after birth

Colostrum Mgt.
Keep a good record of colostrum quality for each cow/heifer Quality of colostrum fed to the calf should be recorded

Calves that won't voluntarily consume colostrum are force fed with an esophageal feeder (adapted from Dairy Cattle Science, Courtesy of Emily Barrick)

Colostrum feeding Colostrum Mgt.

------------------------------Efficiency of Ig absorption
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Time (hours) relative to birth

Calf Housing
Clan, dry, good ventilation, prevent calf-to-calf contact (e.g. calf hutches) Wet and filthy bedding must be avoided Smooth river rocks [6-8 inches] Keep -------------------------------------------- or use every other pen (when you can)

Place the hutches for ---------------------------

Feeding the Young Calf (Liquid Feed)

After colostrum feeding:
Liquid: transition milk @ ------------------------- birth wt. for 3-4 days thereafter both liquid and dry feed until weaning

Extra Points about the Calf Starter

Starter should contain enough coarse ingredients Mixture of ----------- chopped hay and --------------- starter Starter should always be available Feed proper amount daily to keep the feed fresh Keep the starter away from -------------------------

Stimulating Rumen Development

Fresh water should be available to calf from birth
Calves easily dehydrate Free water intake is crucial for maintaining a normal rumen environment
Increases dry matter intake

The amount of calf starter fed daily should be limited to just slightly more than the calf consumes in the same period (Courtesy of Iowa State University)

Courtesy of Dr. Kincaid, WSU

Dehorning

Can be accomplished as early as --------------- of age

Use an electric or gas dehorner the quickest, the most effective

Gas dehorners cauterize the blood supply to the horn bud and effectively dehorn without leaving an open wound (Courtesy of Dr. Mark Kirkpatrick, Pfizer Animal Health)

Fig 45-20. Barnes type dehorners are most commonly used on older calves, and this technique requires removal of all horn bud tissue for success (Courtesy of Dr. Mark Kirkpatrick; Pfizer Animal Health)

Removing Supernumary Teats

Extra teats have no value and may interfere with milking Should be removed when calf is -----------months of age Usually little bleeding when teats are properly removed

Weaning
When to wean a calf

------------- weeks of age When calf steadily eats about ----------- of calf starter Gaining .8 lb/day by 6 wks (~ 130-140 lbs)
Small wt. loss after weaning can occur when calves do not consume enough starter

Calf-hood Health and Disease Management Minimize pathogen exposure

Sanitation
Maternity stall Calves housed in clean, well-ventilated area

Minimizing contacts
Individual housing systems Adequate space between calves

People exposed to calves practice good hygiene

Care for calves prior to older animals Develop chore routine to minimize pathogen transmission

Weaning
Weaning is stressful, do not do other mgt. practices that are stressful Keep the calf in the hutch for about --------------------- days after weaning Begin the grower feed

From Weaning to Breeding

Heifers should be moved to a group pen Start feeding calf grower diet Calf grower can be fed, ad libitum, until ------

-------------- age
Feeding -------------------is not advisable Provide good quality hay Do not forget clean and adequate water Provide an adequate feeder space

Managing Heifer Development

Goals: Provide replacements for cows leaving the herd Improve genetics and production Raise heifers efficiently and economically ___________________ I. Age at calving II. Body size at calving III. Controlling Expense feed and labor IV. Ease of care V. Optimizing Health

Age at calving Body size at calving

The recommended goal for dairy replacement Holstein heifers:

Calving at ------------------months of age Post-calving BW of-----------------.

1200-1250 post-calving weight supports optimum 1st lactation milk yield Over-conditioned heifers do not perform well and have reduced milk yield

Remember: 1200-1250 lb. Post-calving weight translates to a 1300-1350 lb precalving weight

Should We Forget about Age?

Calving age, at when heifers reaches to 1250, is important Late calving translates to less productive life

Late calving translates to larger expenses

$$ rearing heifers (birth to calving)= $1800 $2000 $$ The earlier the lactation occurs, the sooner the initial investment will be returned

Check These Numbers

Delayed calving beyond 24 months

rearing costs = $50/mo/heifer

Attaining 1250 lb in 24 Months

ADG of ---------------------from birth to precalving (~1350 lb.)

Sexual maturity of Holstein heifers begins at ~ ------------------------------ (around 9-10 months of age)

Attaining 1250 lb in 24 Months

Maximum lb gain/day = 1.8 lb Achieve 800 lb & 48" height at 14 months of age ADG < 1.5 lb is unacceptable and not economical ADG > 2.0 lb might be problematic and detrimental to milk yield

Recommended ranges of BW and wither height for Holstein heifers

Age (mo.) 1 3 5 7 8 9 11 13 Body weight (lbs.) 130-135 226-244 323-354 420-463 469-518 518-572 615-682 712-791 Wither height (inches) 31.7-33.2 35.2-37.1 38.4-40.4 41.1-43.3 42.3-44.5 43.4-44.5 45.4-47.6 47.1-49.3

14
16 18 20 22 24

761-864
858-956 956-1065 1053-1174 1150-1284 1247-1393

47.8-50.0
49.0-51.2 50.2-52.1 51.0-53.0 51.7-55.0 52.2-56.5

Adapted from Looper and Bethard The progressive Dairyman

Fig 46-1. Heifer weight can be accurately estimated by measuring heart girth using a weight tape (Courtesy of Iowa State University)

KEY TO SUCCESS IN HEIFER RAISING

Measure weight and height

Control growth

Breeding Age Heifers

Breeding age (------------- months) Body condition score Wither height measurement Balanced ration: ~-----------------DM

Make sure that heifers do not loose BW and body condition at this stage.