A pre-calving mineral given to pregnant cows in the final eight weeks of pregnancy is boosting a pedigree beef herd’s colostrum yield and quality – resulting in zero mortalities in 2021.
Titchburn Limousins, a mostly autumn-calving herd of 35 pedigree cows, is run by father and son, Donal and Ciaran Murray, in Co. Armagh.
They source Lifeline Pre-Calver crumb from Fane Valley Store at Altnamackin, Newry.
Donal says calf health is testament to the quality of the mineral.
“With the help of Lifeline Pre-Calver, I didn’t lose a single calf last year and I put that down to the calf getting off to the best start possible in the early stages of life,” he said.
The product, manufactured by Uniblock, has been patented for its ability to boost colostrum quality by 25%.
It has now been formulated to include more rumen bypass protein to improve colostrum yield.
The Murray farm
The Murray’s calves are vigorous at birth.
“Calves get up quickly to suckle their first and important feed of colostrum,’’ said Donal.
Research has shown calf vigour to be a combination of several factors but nutrition in the final 60 days of gestation and good genetics top the list.
Lifeline Pre-Calver includes lactose, protected rapeseed and a range of yeast products, helping to increase calf vitality and stimulate the cow’s immune system – increasing levels of antibodies in colostrum and, as a consequence, boosting colostrum quality and quantity.
Attention to detail is key in the Murray system. A refractometer is used to measure colostrum quality as soon as possible after the calf is born.
“I would say that at least 90% of cows produce a high reading when it comes to colostrum quality and also the appearance of the colostrum has been much thicker than in previous years,” said Donal.
Good-quality colostrum
A combination of factors play an important role in the health of the newborn calf:
- Quality of colostrum consumed;
- Volume of colostrum produced by the cow;
- How quickly the calf receives colostrum.
Dr. Amanda Dunn, of Uniblock, recommends that a calf ideally needs to consume 10% of its bodyweight of good quality colostrum (>22% Brix) within the first few hours after birth.
Donal manually feeds his calves a minimum of 3L of its dam’s colostrum where possible promptly after birth, to ensure adequate immunity in the first few weeks.
“Good colostrum management reaps benefits in the calf’s health,’’ he said.
If minerals and vitamins are in short supply, the cow is at greater risk of post-calving health problems such as retained cleansings; milk fever; ketosis; poor dry matter intakes; poor quality colostrum; displaced abomasum; and fertility problems.
Metabolic issues are not an issue at Titchburn Limousins.
“Since using Lifeline Pre-Calver not one cow has held her cleansings, most shed theirs within two to three hours after calving. We have no issues with milk fever on the farm either,’’ said Donal.
Dry cow diet
The dry cow diet consists of top-quality grass silage, straw and Lifeline Pre-Calver as a top dressing on the silage.
“Making good-quality silage really makes a difference when it comes to achieving results. We try to cut every five weeks when the weather is right,” said Donal.
Another benefit of using a crumb-type pre-calver instead of a powder alternative is that it is bulky in appearance and texture.
“Intakes are better with the crumb as it tends to sit on top of the silage instead of filtering down through,’’ Donal added.
Good calf performance at the farm is also down to animals getting off to a better start after an easy calving.
Research has shown that with a difficult calving comes greater risk for infectious diseases, such as diarrhoea and respiratory disease, higher mortality rates and it is more challenging for the calf to maintain its body temperature after being born.
About 40-50% of the Murray’s cows calve without their knowledge.
“The majority of cows tend to need little assistance, which is easier on both cow and calf,’’ said Donal.
His cows are scanned four weeks after calving to check for any infection left behind in the uterus before breeding.
Infections like metritis and endometritis can be picked up and corrected in the early stages.
“Thankfully we rarely have many ‘dirty’ cows,” Donal said.
“I am also very happy with the cows’ performance post-partum. We observe strong heats and get good results with artificial insemination.’’
Dr. Dunn said that this is again connected to good dry cow management.
“Trying to eliminate metabolic diseases around calving sets the cow up for another successful breeding season,” said Dr. Dunn.
“Protected sources of copper and zinc are now included in the Lifeline formulation instead of copper and zinc sulphates or oxides as these protected sources are more bioavailable, palatable, and result in better performance, intakes and efficiency.’’
Cost
Feeding Lifeline mineral crumb at the recommended rate of 200g/cow/day costs approximately £0.25/cow/day. Donal believes it is money well spent.
“The benefits gained from using a pre-calving mineral by far outweigh the costs involved,” he said.
Lifeline Pre-Calver suits his system, he adds.
“It is very palatable, it produces vigorous, healthy calves, good quality colostrum and plenty of it, helps eliminate common metabolic issues in the cows, we have less difficult calvings and it helps get my cows back in calf post-calving,” he said.
“I would most definitely recommend this premium product as it gives me peace of mind that the cows are receiving all the essential minerals and vitamins required at this crucial period for both calf and the cow.’’
To view and/or shop the Lifeline range, click here.
