She says there are four key areas to consider to make calf management easier:
- Make targeted investments
What investment could you make to ease calf management? That might mean buying a milk taxi that mixes and controls milk temperature and can be calibrated to feed set amounts per calf or per group or simply making a dedicated area for mixing milk and cleaning equipment.
“This area should include everything you need, such as alkaline and acid disinfectants for cleaning and a good supply of warm water which can be helped by installing a water boiler,” Fiona explains.
It’s also worth considering how pens are set-up. Are they easy to access and do you have enough single or double calf pens to cope with a busy calving period?
- Make it easy to record
Have a large white board in the calf shed where any issues or treatments can be recorded. Make sure it’s big enough for the number of calves being managed so information doesn’t have to be rubbed off to make room.
“Keep a close eye on calf drinking speed and make a note on the board of any individuals that show a drop so the next person knows to monitor them,” Fiona says. “A drop in drinking speed can be an early indication of issues such as pneumonia or scours. If it varies today, you will likely see a problem tonight or tomorrow.”
- Focus on pen hygiene
Keeping beds clean and dry should be a priority to safeguard calf health. Clean pens between calves, use plenty of straw and apply an appropriate disinfectant powder.
Excessive rain in the southwest of England and Wales means many calf rearers are tackling high humidity, which is a big risk for pneumonia. In these regions, it’s even more important to keep calves well-bedded on clean, dry straw with good ventilation.
“Straw may be expensive, but don’t be tempted to cut back as you don’t want to take a risk with pen hygiene,”.
As always, feeding plenty of quality colostrum should be a priority to lay the foundations for good immunity, she adds.
- Choose a quality, easy mixing calf milk replacer
“Opting for a quality CMR that mixes well will mean less time preparing feed and more time focusing on calf management which will help elevate performance. It will also mean less residues on feeding equipment which will make it easier to clean,”
Feed For Growth’s CMR range has been designed to deliver consistent nutrition that’s easy to mix. For example, in Feed For Growth’s whey protein concentrate (WPC) powders, the WPC and vegetable oil base is combined as a liquid and homogenised resulting in evenly distributed particles that readily dissolve in water.
The balanced liquid is then spray dried for optimum mixability. Joining different sized particles together also facilitates easy mixing by increasing the surface area for water to act on. This translates into a CMR that mixes well, every time – regardless of volume, ensuring each calf receives the same nutrition at every feed, which will benefit growth and immunity.
