Calf rearing is the beginning and the end of a dairy business, get it right and heifers will go on to make money for a business, but get it wrong it will cost a business, delegates at this year’s Women in Dairy Conference were told.
Ailsa Milnes, Veterinary Advisor at Boehringer International, the Women in Dairy national sponsor explained how heifer rearing is the second-largest variable cost on dairy farms, costing on average £1,800 to rear a heifer and the payback taking as long as 3.6 lactations.
“Whether a calf yields a return will depend on keeping that calf healthy. From the minute the calf lands the clock starts to ensure a healthy and productive life,” said Dr Milnes.
Preparation is key to ensure calves get off to the best start, added dairy farmer and this year’s Dairy Industry Woman of the Year Karen Halton, from Cheshire.
“It’s important to get calf rearing right so heifers can go on and have longevity in the herd.”
She has established clear protocols in her 530-cow all-year-round calving herd run with her husband Tom. The protocols mean should she or her assistant calf rearer Grace not be there, others know what to do.
She said: “Sometimes there may be a conference on that means both Grace and I are away from the farm on the same day, but I don’t ever want a calf to know we are not here. They should never feel the difference. Rearing calves well is massively down to consistency,” she said.
Maternity ward
Mrs Halton has a dedicated maternity ward where all the close-up calvers are housed on clean straw. At the point of calving (when the cow is presenting) the cow is moved into a dedicated rubber matted pen, which contains all the tools, medicines, and even emergency contact details that may be needed. The cow is then left to calve.
She said: “Preparation and cleanliness are key. Some people may think we are crazy moving a cow that is so late in calving, but for biosecurity, it is the easiest way to manage.
“Once a cow has calved, we have got everything we need to deal with that cow and calf such as ear tags, food, drink, and water as well as equipment to milk the cow and teat dip. We always leave the calf with her mum while she is being milked and the aim is to have that calf fed within an hour.”
Calf pen and colostrum management
The calf is then moved to a calf pen using a calf wheelbarrow- something Mrs Halton says is one of the best investments they have made.
“We also carry over the colostrum with us and we aim to get a minimum of four litres into the calf within the first hour of birth.”
The Halton’s use a refractometer to measure colostrum quality, and if the measure is under 22, they will use colostrum stock from the freezer or add Locatim, if no stock is available. They are fed with a speedy feeder bottle, with stomach tubing used as a last option.
Colostrum is vital to give the calf antibodies, added Dr Milnes. “The first two hours are the magic two hours. Following the birth, the ability of the calf’s gut to absorb the immunoglobulins rapidly decreases. The gut is open to everything at this point and not just antibodies, which is why hygiene is vital,” she stressed.
It is thought only 50% of calves receive adequate colostrum.
Mrs Halton says they randomly blood test calves each week to make sure calves are receiving adequate colostrum.
“We actually run a colostrum competition. Because we know who has given the colostrum anybody that has the lowest result (from the blood test) would have to buy the person who scores the highest a present. It doesn’t have to be anything big; it could be a cream cake or a cheap bottle of wine. Because nobody knows when the vet is taking blood tests, it engages people,” she said.
Data Use
Data at Halton Farms is used to monitor calf health and can help identify where things may have gone wrong. “If we have a calf that is sick, we can look back and see why. Say if we have a case of joint ill, if it is born in the middle of the night, we can see it was born in the big (straw) yard and it was four hours before it had its navel dipped.”
At birth staff record:
Date
Time
Time they are fed
Amount of colostrum the cow gave
Quality of colostrum and was it supplemented
How it was fed (speedy feeder or tubed)
Second feed
Initials of staff member
Mrs Halton says birthweights are their starting point. “We don’t then weigh again until weaning unless the calf is falling behind. We then weigh again every month from weaning until service. Those weights determine how quickly heifers go into the bulling shed.”
Currently, the Halton’s are averaging heifers calving down at 22 months. “The Holstein, Montbeliarde and Swedish Red crosses are flying. We are getting the fertility,” she said.
For more from the conference go to www.womenindairy.co.uk/conference