Dairy or beef?
This is a question too often neglected when rearing calves. Do you review your calf rearing system each year, or do you just repeat what you did last year?
Cattle genetics have been vastly improved over the last 10 years, yet calf management and feeding practises remain largely unchanged – which may well be preventing some animals from fully achieving their genetic potential.
When rearing a calf of high genetic merit, we need to look at it as a high performing dairy cow or beef animal from the moment it is born and plan how to get the best from it.
The Foundation Rearing Approach is designed to address calf rearing using a simple three stage plan.
Making the most out of your heifers
Traditional calf rearing systems, feeding once or twice a day and limiting calf milk replacer intake to weaning, results in restricted growth early on and then requires calves to catch up later. Whilst this practise leads to a low cost/kg liveweight gain to weaning, it may also lead to low liveweight gains in the first few months and may not be the most cost effective overall.
The modern dairy cow is producing yields around 20% higher than 10 years ago, but heifer rearing methods have not been improved to equip the cow to perform to her potential. With one third of all cows failing to reach their second lactation, mostly due to poor fertility or poor first lactation milk yields, a new approach is required. Apart from the cost of early culling, failure to achieve calving at 24 months adds a further cost of £50/heifer/month (Esslemont and Kossaibati, 1998). Feeding for improved performance, rather than low cost/kg liveweight gain, will help the modern heifer to achieve her lifetime potential.
In order for a Holstein heifer to calve down at 24 months with a bodyweight of 600kg plus, an average daily liveweight gain of 750-800g is required – are your heifers achieving this? Research has shown that increased daily liveweight gain in the first 6 weeks of life resulted in a significant improvement in milk yield in first lactation – however, the higher level of early growth is difficult to achieve using traditional restricted feeding systems.
Quality, not just quantity, is also vital at this early stage. Research has shown that increasing milk replacer protein levels to 26%, whilst limiting the oil %, permits higher growth rates with greater frame growth, with less body fat and more lean tissue growth. Rearing a heifer which is 'fit not fat' is essential. Published research demonstrates a direct link between higher bodyweight at calving and increased first lactation milk yield, but if the heifer is 'fat' rather than 'fit' she is more likely to suffer from poor appetite post calving, leading to an energy deficiency and subsequent fertility problems.
Volac have developed three specially formulated milk replacers to meet the needs of the modern calf; Heiferlac, Blossom and Enerlac.
Heiferlac is specially designed for the modern heifer and is formulated with high levels of pure dairy protein (26%), lactose and vegetable oils to ensure the right type of growth is achieved in order to reach the optimum size and weight for bulling and calving.
Blossom contains 23% protein and 18% oil to support good all round performance on more traditional restricted and ad-lib feeding systems.
Enerlac is an ideal cost-effective milk replacer (see beef calf rearing section)
Early growth rates can be increased (0 – 6 weeks) - details of this and a discussion on the benefits of improved nutrition can be found in our Calf Management Guide. To obtain your free copy, or advice on improving the lifetime performance of your calves, then please calll us free on 0800 919808.
Making the most out of your beef calves
Significant numbers of beef calves are now reared on units away from their birthplace. Good management of these animals immediately after arrival is essential as, typically, animals will be stressed and dehydrated. A rehydration therapy, such as Volac ASGold, can be very valuable as a first feed. Clean, well ventilated housing with plenty of bedding and water are other key components to success.
Whilst some specialist rearers will be targeting high growth rates from the minute the calf arrives on the farm (e.g. 12 month beef), many beef rearers are aiming to grow their calves more slowly and at the lowest cost/kg liveweight gain. For these rearers, early growth is often restricted as animals have an opportunity to compensate with faster growth later on. Enerlac is an ideal calf milk replacer to use in this situation as it will give exceptional growth at a cost effective rate. It provides equal proportions of protein and oil (20%) and no fibre to give a very high energy feed resulting in good looking, well grown calves.
Note: The feed conversion ratios
achieved in the first 6 weeks of life
are better than those achieved at
any other stage of life.
The specialist rearer, aiming to market a finished animal at 12 months of age, needs to maximise growth rates from birth to slaughter. This gives little opportunity for compensatory growth and so higher growth rates are necessary in the first 6 weeks. This might result in a higher cost per kg liveweight gain, but can produce animals over 10kgs heavier at 11 weeks, which will save time and feed overall. Blossom is the calf milk replacer to use to achieve higher levels of growth. It is formulated with 23% protein, 18% oil and 0% fibre.
Whether you are rearing a heifer or a high performance beef calf, going for higher milk replacer intakes early on results in improved feed conversion efficiency and better growth rates. Improved early nutrition also helps to support increased disease resistance, improved immune response and decreased mortality – all vital to rearing and finishing healthy calves.
Further details of this system and a discussion on the benefits of improved nutrition can be found in our Calf Management Guide.To obtain your free copy , or for advice on improving the lifetime performance of your calves, please call us free on 0800 919808.
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Rearing systems
Choosing a system
Colostrum management
Tips on feeding whole or surplus milk
Housing
Weaning