WEEK 1 – WEANING

TARGETS: calves should double their birth weight by weaning at 8 - 10 weeks of age - e.g. 80kg target for 40kg calf at birth.

Animal Nutrition

• Offer concentrates from 3 days of age and fresh water to calves ad-lib at all times. Fresh water is essential for rumen development as it creates an environment for fermentation by rumen bacteria. The water in milk or milk replacer bypasses the rumen into the abomasum. Renew concentrate allocation daily.

• Provide clean long roughage (straw or hay, no silage) to calves at all times.

• Including a fibre source such as chopped straw in the pre-weaning diet improves starter concentrate consumption and overall increased dry matter intake (DMI), resulting in greater ADG in the post-weaning stage.

• Once calves are consuming ≥250g/head/day of GAIN Startacalf, introduce GAIN Goldgrain 18% or GAIN Calf Crunch 18% ad-lib until 2 weeks post weaning.

• Weaning should only occur when the calf is healthy with a sufficiently developed rumen. An indicator of a adequate developed rumen is when calves consistently consume 1 - 1.5kg (1.5kg grouped pens, 1kg individual pens) of concentrates per day.

• Weaning on a weight basis results in a more uniform group of calves.

• Concentrates can be limit-fed in two daily feeds from two weeks post weaning, but not earlier. Prior to this concentrates must be freely available at all times. Inadequate long forage and restricted concentrate feeding are the main causes of digestive upsets.

Calf Milk Replacer (CMR)

• Feed calves 12.5 - 15% of their body weight daily in milk replacer (approx. 6 litres for Friesian calves), divided into two feeds.

• Accurate weighing and mixing of CMR is strongly advised. Always follow instructions carefully.

• Introduce abruptly rather than mixing with cows’ milk.

• Ensure mixing utensils and feed equipment are clean at all times. Wash with hot water regularly.

• Once-a-day feeding should only be considered from 4 weeks of age.

• Where using computerized feeders, follow instructions for selected feeding plan.

Add powder to ½ the warm water (max 40oC), mix thoroughly

Mixing Milk Replacer

1.

Add powder to ½ the warm water (max. 40ºC), mix thoroughly.

3. Twice-a-day feeding

Add powder to ½ the warm water (max 40oC), mix thoroughly

Mix at 12.5% powder

125g powder makes 1L

125g powder + 0.9L water = 1.0L milk

1kg makes 8L

20kg bag makes 160L

GAIN Feeding Guidelines

Add the remaining warm water (max 40oC) and mix again

2.

Add the remaining warm water (max. 40ºC) and mix again.

4. Once-a-day feeding

Add the remaining warm water (max 40oC) and mix again

Mix at 20% powder

200g powder makes 1L

200g powder + 0.8L water = 1.0L milk

1kg makes 5L

20kg bag makes 100L

• Suitable for general rearing systems for dairy heifer calves.

• 20% higher feeding rates can be used for higher growth rates (Accelerated growth rate systems).

• Increase feeding rate by 0.5L/day for every 5ºC drop in air temperature below 20ºC at 125g/L mix.

• Increase feeding rate by 0.4L/day for every 5ºC drop in air temperature below 20ºC, at 150g/L mix.

• Increase feeding rate by 0.3L/day for every 5ºC drop in air temperature below 20ºC, at 200g/L mix.

Animal Husbandry

Disbudding

The only method of disbudding of calves that is legally permissible in Ireland is disbudding by thermal cauterization up to 28 days old. It is illegal to disbud or dehorn calves over 14 days old without using a local anaesthetic. The use of local anaesthetic in combination with a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug when disbudding calves of any age is recommended best practice.

Stressful events

Stressful events such as disbudding or mixing of age groups should not take place in the weeks before or after weaning to prevent a growth check. These additional procedures will cause excess stress for the calves, which could lead to immunosuppression and increased likelihood of disease.