What Should Be Noted in the Feeding Management of Calves?

Feeding management is crucial for the healthy growth and development of calves. Proper nutrition, including a balance of milk, starter feed, and water, lays the foundation for their future productivity. Key considerations include ensuring a clean feeding environment, providing age-appropriate feed, and monitoring for any signs of illness or nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, transitioning calves to solid feed should be done gradually to avoid digestive issues. Effective feeding management not only promotes optimal growth but also supports the overall health and wellbeing of the calves.

1. Early feeding colostrum. Colostrum contains higher protein, fat, vitamins and other nutrients than regular milk, and also contains a large amount of immunoglobulin and lysozyme, which can kill and inhibit germs. Therefore, let the calf eat colostrum as early as possible. Because the calf 4-6 hours after birth to the strongest absorption of immunoglobulin in colostrum, in the calf about 1 hour after birth to feed colostrum, in 6-9 hours of the second feeding, feeding amount of 2 kg. Later gradually increase, continue 5-7 days, feeding amount not more than 5% of body weight.

2. Nursing regular milk. Calves in 5-7 days later, should be transferred to the calf house feeding regular milk, feeding 3 times a day, the temperature is maintained at 35 - 38 ℃.

3. Timely supplemental feeding concentrate feed. Calves after 1 week after birth to start training to feed concentrate feed, in order to supplement nutrition and promote gastrointestinal development. Feed 10-20 grams of concentrate per day for the first few days, and then gradually increase to 80-100 grams. 200-300 grams per day at 30 days of age, and increase to 600-1000 grams at 60 days of age.

4. Feed high quality roughage. In order to promote the early development of the stomach and intestines, in the digestive tract function is perfect before feeding roughage. After 1 week of birth, calves can put a little high-quality green hay in the trough to feed freely. 2 weeks later, put a small amount of chopped carrots, pumpkin and other green juicy fodder in the trough to feed, and after 60 days it can be increased to more than 2 kilograms. Calves can be born 20-30 days in the trough to spread a small amount of silage. Later gradually increase, after 2 months can be fed to 100-150 grams per day; March can be fed to 1.5-2 kg; 4-6 months of age to 4-5 kg.

5. Give calves good water. Calves 15 days before drinking water should be sterilized drinking water, and pay attention to the water temperature and milk temperature is the same. 15 days later, change to clean warm water, 30 days after the change to tap water, but be careful not to feed ice water and unhygienic water.

6. Early weaning. Development of healthy calves can be early weaning at 60 days of age, the specific method is: about half a month before weaning, start to increase concentrate and roughage, reduce the amount of milk feeding. The number of times a day from 3 times to 2 times, near weaning from 2 times to 1 time, and then stop feeding milk. Milk can also be mixed with water to gradually reduce the amount of milk, and finally changed to all water supply. It is generally believed that the amount of concentrate feed at weaning is about 1 kg per day. 3 months of age concentrate increased to 1.5-2 kg, during which a large amount of roughage can be supplied. Before 2 months of life, let it free feed high quality roughage, roughage to about 1.7 kg per day is appropriate; after 2 months, can feed general roughage, control at 2 kg per day.