Feeding transition milk to calves can offer a number of benefits, including reducing the level of sickness in calves.
The spring-calving season will soon be kicking-off on farms across the country and thus the return to feeding young calves on farms.
Earlier this week Teagasc hosted a webinar that outlined some of the key guidelines for feeding young calves.
Emer Kennedy, a researcher with Teagasc, outlined a number of key points for farmers to follow this spring.
Kennedy first reminded farmers of the importance of using 1,2,3 method when feeding calves this spring.
Using the 1,2,3 rule:
- Use the first milk (colostrum) from the cow;
- Feed the calf colostrum within the first two-hours of birth;
- Calves must be offered at least 3L of good-quality colostrum.
When asked why the advice is for farmers to feed 3L of milk, Kennedy said that it was to ensure that calves are getting enough antibodies.
Kennedy told the attendees of the webinar that the average dairy calf birth weight is 35kg, with bulls likely to be a little heavier.
According to Kennedy, by feeding these calves 3L shortly after birth, it works out at about 8.5% of their birth body weight.
She also told the attendees that if the average calf birth weight for your farm is higher than 35kg, your calves could require more milk for their first feed.
Transition milk
Although once a calf has reached 24 hours old it can no longer acquire new antibodies, the consuming of transition milk – the milk collected from milking’s two to six – has a local effect in the lining of the gut which keeps the calf healthier and helps stop it from getting sick.
Research conducted by Teagasc determined that by feeding 5L of transition milk/day that there was less incidents of ill health in the calves.
According to Kennedy, calves should receive transition milk for a least three to four days, particularly if you are vaccinating cows for scours.
It is advised that calves are offered between 2-2.5L/feed, twice a day.
Kennedy noted that although transition milk it is not as high quality as colostrum, it is still better than mature milk for calves.
During the webinar it was also noted that you should avoid the pooling of transition milk in herds where Johne’s disease is, or may be present.