Does nutrition have an impact on the overall health of my animals?
Research has shown that dairy calves fed a higher plane of nutrition have a higher growth rate and lower morbidity and mortality rate than calves fed on a lower plane of nutrition, says Tom Newton, business manager for animal nutrition company, MaxCare.
“In a study of over 400 calves in which a portion received higher levels of nutrition (dry matter, energy, and protein) per day, they recorded:
- a reduction in the portion of calves treated from 32.1% down to 11.6%
- a reduction in the mortality rate from 12.1% to 2.2%
- increase in average daily gain (ADG) of >100 grams/calf/day.
“When a calf gets sick their energy requirements increase. Unfortunately, through this time they eat less or stop eating and hence rely on body condition to meet their energy requirements. We need to ensure those fat reserves are there for the calf to utilise.”
This begs the question, what should our priorities be when rearing a calf?
1. Trying to minimise our costs of rearing/day,
Promoting early rumen development, and
Reducing the perceived risk of diarrhea?
OR
2. Meeting the biological needs for growth and health
Encouraging labour effectiveness and efficiency, and
Promoting the welfare of the calf?
“When allowed to drink as much as they wish the animals get healthier, happier and will yield more meat and milk,” Mr Newton said. “Although this would make perfect sense, the reality is that allowing a calf to drink as much as they want is rarely practically or financially viable in our system.
“When planning how much to feed your calves it is best to use their bodyweight as a guide. The plane of nutrition should be adjusted in line with the growth of the calf.
“To ensure we meet the requirements of the calf we need to feed a minimum of 10% of its bodyweight. To accelerate growth rates, we can feed closer to 15%. These minimum and maximum guidelines are shown in Table 1 below:
| Bodyweight (kg) | Whole Milk (L) | CMR (grams) | ||
| 10% | 15% | 10% | 15% | |
| 40 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 500 | 750 |
| 50 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 625 | 937 |
| 60 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 750 | 1125 |
| 70 | 7.0 | 10.5 | 875 | 1312 |
| 80 | 8.0 | 12.0 | 1000 | 1500 |
Table 1. Guidelines for whole milk and calf milk replacer (CMR) volumes based on percentage of body weight.
“The amount of nutrients we feed a calf is vital to ensure we meet maintenance and growth requirements and to improve general health. Another vital component is the type and quality of feed we choose to deliver these nutrients,” Mr Newton said.
