Feeding Jersey Calves to Reach their Genetic Potential By Janna Moats More and more dairy operations are enriching their herds with Jerseys. In fact, the number of registered Jersey animals in Canada has nearly doubled since 2001, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The breed is known for its desirable milk composition, earlier breeding maturity, and better lactation efficiency compared to Holsteins. Pre-weaning nutrition has a major influence on a dairy cow’s future performance; so, investing in their early development as calves is critical to ensuring they meet their full genetic potential. While most published information on calf nutrition focuses on Holsteins, there are unique differences producers need to keep in mind when feeding young Jerseys. COLOSTRUM: All dairy calves are born immune deficient, making them depend on the passive transfer of colostrum immunoglobulin (Ig) proteins as their first line of defense. For Jersey calves, the importance of this passive immunity cannot be overstated. Researchers from Texas Tech University found that Jersey calves have lower immune responses than Holsteins, necessitating a higher plane of nutrition in early life to defend against disease. But the window of opportunity for calves to absorb these essential Ig proteins is small, making timing, quantity and quality essential elements of a successful colostrum feeding program. For optimal absorption of Ig proteins, Jersey calves should be fed high quality colostrum, at a rate of 10-12% of their body weight, within the first couple hours of life. To ensure Jersey’s get 6L of high quality colostrum within 24 hours of life, two or three feedings may be needed to accommodate their smaller meal sizes. After 24 hours, the window for passive immunity is essentially closed, but researchers suggest that extending colostrum feeding or offering transition milk may offer added benefits to the calf’s overall development.
Quality is key for a successful colostrum feeding program. It should be clean, free from transmissible diseases and should contain a concentration of at least 50 g/L of IgG. The IgG levels can be estimated on-farm through an easy to use tool called a BRIX refractometer. Since the composition of colostrum is different between breeds, producers should be sure to use a BRIX cut-off measure of 18% for colostrum from Jersey animals instead of the Holstein target of 21%. Feeding Holstein colostrum to Jersey calves isn’t recommended under normal situations, but it can be fed in an emergency scenario so long as it's topped-up with a commercial IgG supplement. Commercial colostrum replacers are also an option when maternal sources aren’t available, but the absorption of Ig proteins is poorer for these products and additional feedings may be required. MILK & MILK REPLACER: The goal of a calf milk feeding program is to maximize gains by optimizing nutrient uptake. To get Jersey calves on track to reaching their earlier breeding weights, producers should target an average daily gain of 1.1 lb/day; doubling the calves weight by day 56. Achieving these goals requires an understanding of the calf’s nutritional requirements and ensuring that they’re being met. Jersey calves may be small, but they have higher energy requirements than a Holstein. Because of their smaller meal sizes, the challenge is getting enough milk in front of the calves throughout the day to meet their nutritional requirements. Feeding smaller meals more often is the best way to ensure Jersey calves get what they need. When given the opportunity, a Jersey calf will consume nearly as much as a Holstein calf in a single day by 2 or 3 days of age. A feeding frequency of 3 times per day for at least the first week would be ideal, but
52 JUNE / JUIN 2022 Canadian Jersey Breeder / Eleveur de Jersey Canadien
does require extra labour. To overcome this issue, more producers are turning to automatic milking systems (AMS) as a way to make sure the calves are getting enough milk without the added labour. Since Jerseys need a higher plane of nutrition when they are young, producers should choose a milk replacer with at least 22-24% protein and 22% fat. They should also avoid any products that incorporate vegetable protein sources like wheat or soy; young calves lack the digestive enzymes to break these products down and utilize their nutrients. STARTERS: When selecting a calf starter for a Jersey calf, remember that quality pays for itself. Instead of fixating on label values for nutrients like crude protein level, ask how much of that protein can actually be digested by the calf. In some cases, an 18% protein starter can be just as effective (if not more so) than some of the 24% protein starters! Once you’ve found the product that works for you, introduce it to the calves early. Offering a handful of pellets by day 2 of age is a good way for the calves to become familiar with a solid feed source. Once they’ve taken to their starter, producers can gradually increase the amounts being offered. When the calves are consistently consuming 1.5 to 2 lbs of starter for at least 3 consecutive days, they should be ready to start the weaning process. Jersey calves are known to transition more slowly off of milk compared to Holsteins. By introducing them to a quality starter early on and giving them until at least 6 weeks of age, producers can better prepare their calves for weaning. Jersey cattle offer lots of benefits to a milking herd, but getting them to that point requires investment early on. By implementing a breed-specific pre-weaning calf feeding program, producers will help their Jerseys reach their full genetic potential.
