Transition milk, the milk following colostrum and between milkings two and eight, has many benefits when fed to calves.
Although the calf cannot absorb anymore antibodies, the feeding of transition milk is important – particularly so on farms where vaccinations for scour have been given to cows.
Transition milk
After a calf has been born it is important that you follow the 1,2,3 rule, so that the calf can obtain maternal antibodies.
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.
After the first 24 hours of life a calf is unable to absorb anymore antibodies from it’s dam, so the feeding of transition milk has its benefits.
The feeding of transition milk has a local effect on the gut that helps to keep the calf heathier and helps prevent them from becoming sick.
Calves should be fed transition milk for the first three days of life and after this, the calf can be transitioned onto milk replacer.
Calf registration
The latest figures from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) show that during the week ending February 11, a total of 146,030 calves were registered.
These latest figures bring the total number of calves registered this year to 358,097, which is 13,500 head ahead of the same period last year.
Focusing on those born to dairy dams, we see that 132,802 dairy calves were registered in the week ending February 11 – which is a slight increase compared to 2021, when 127,419 calves were registered.
Taking a look at the calves born to beef dams, we can see a continued decrease in registrations compared to 2021 figures.
For the week ending February 11, some 13,228 beef calves were registered, a decrease of 1,936 head compared to 2021, when 15,164 were registered.
Overall, the beef births are 906 behind the same period in 2021 when 57,433 calves had been registered, compared to the 56,527 so far this year.
Total calf registrations up to and including the week ending February 11, 2022:
- Dairy calf births: 301,570 (+14,406);
- Beef calf births: 56,527 (-906);
- Total births: 358,097 (+13,500).