Youngstock Signals - English edition by Roodbont Publishers

Young Stock Signals until the cattle themselves calve for the first time’ Jan Hulsen grew up on a farm with dairy cattle and pigs. He studied veterinary medicine, switching to agricultural education for a short period. ‘After three years working as a farm vet, with great pleasure, I started to focus on knowledge communication and consultancy’. To that end, he became involved in journalism, marketing and business administration.

The aim of young stock rearing is to produce dairy cows that are fully ready for a healthy, long and productive life. Young stock are the future of every dairy farm. Yet many dairy farms have still not yet managed to get their heifers calving the age of 23 to 24 months without problems. Scours and respiratory problems are big troublemakers, as are nutritional deficiencies. And there are more factors that stop a heifer growing up to be a strong and productive milking cow.

With his company Vetvice, Jan developed the CowSignals® concept, and wrote the successful CowSignals series of books. Vetvice is active in more than 30 countries, with lectures and training in the fields of cow signals, hoofs, udder health, fertility, young stock, dry period and transition, robotic milking, barn construction and feeding.

Young Stock Signals illustrates the procedures and concepts for actually achieving that. A guide full of practical solutions that cost little time and give a lot of job satisfaction.

From left to right: Rear row: Dr. Nico Vreeburg, Dr. Bertjan Westerlaan, Dr. Marcel Drint, Dr. Bert van Niejenhuis Front row: Dr. Jan Hulsen, Dr. Joep Driessen, ir. Wiebe Veenstra

Young Stock Signals is a practical guide, where everyone who wants to rear young stock will find valuable information. The clear text, schedules and images make the information practical and directly applicable.

T H D IG TE R C Y P TE O Jan Hulsen C RO P

Young Stock Signals is an edition in the Cow Signals series®. CowSignals® presents practical knowledge about animal-oriented dairy cattle keeping, in an accessible way.

Young Stock Signals www.roodbont.com

www.vetvice.com

www.cowsignals.com

A practical guide to the healthy rearing of dairy cows

The basic requirements of a cow can be condensed into seven keywords that form the points on the Cow Signal Diamond. These seven basic needs are, feed and water, light and air, rest and space, and health. As a dairy farmer, you need to satisfy these needs in order to achieve the cow’s well-being and optimum production. And, naturally, the same applies for young stock.

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Vetvice’s consultants and trainers.

Jan Hulsen

Vetvice focuses on dairy farm management. A combination of care for both animals and humans and for productivity are central themes. Vetvice advises and trains livestock farmers in the fields of housing construction, organization of labour and animal disease preventive management.

Successful young stock rearing is decided mainly during the calf’s first 100 days. To that end, Young Stock Signals provides numerous examples of good housing, proper feeding and better feed regimes, complete with efficient dayly, weekly and monthly schedules. Did you know that providing sufficient nutrition ensures that calves have fewer problems with diarrhoea caused by cryptosporidiosis? And did you know that a fixed weekly calf-moving day leads to better results?

The Cow Signal Diamond

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‘Good calf rearing star ts before bir th, and continues

Young Stock Signals

About the author

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Young Stock Signals

For e-books, e-learning and customized digital products

Publisher Roodbont Publishers B.V. Author Jan Hulsen Final editing Ton van Schie Christel Lubbers Translation First Edition Translations Ltd English content editor Owen Atkinson

Roodbont Publishers B.V. P.O. Box 4103 7200 BC Zutphen The Netherlands T +31 (0)575 54 56 88 E info@roodbont.com I www.roodbont.com For farm/company and housing construction advice

T H D IG TE R C Y P TE O O C R P

Photographs made by Jan Hulsen, and: CRV (cover photo) Tim van Aken (p 13; 1x) Anneke Hallebeek (p 36; 1x) Broer Hulsen (p 37; 5x) Suus Hulsen (p 31; 1x) Berrie Klein Swormink (p 28; 1x, p 35; 4x) Bert van Niejenhuis (p 13; 1x) Jens Verheijen (p 20; 4x, p 67; 1x) Veepro (p 55; 6x) Bertjan Westerlaan (p 20; 1x, p 67; 1x)

Vetvice® Group Moerstraatsebaan 115 4614 PC Bergen op Zoom The Netherlands T +31 (0)165 30 43 05 E info@vetvice.com I www.vetvice.com

Illustrations made by Trudy Michels, Studio Michels Herman Roozen Marleen Felius

Vetvice provides practical and reliable knowledge from science and practice about cattle farming to dairy farmers, their advisers and suppliers. Our goal is maximum welfare and health for animals and humans with economically efficient production of high quality foodstuffs.

Design Varwig Design, Erik de Bruin

For training, workshops and presentations

In collaboration with Berrie Klein Swormink (co-author of the first edition), Bert van Niejenhuis, Sacha Plekkenpol, Wiebe Veenstra, Bertjan Westerlaan, Jaap van Zwieten

With thanks to Paul Hulsen, Roel Koolen, Niek Mangelaars, Kees Simons, Hans Caron, Nico Vreeburg, Joep Driessen, Dré Delhij, Jens Verheijen, Ronald en Ria Raats, John Ruijgrok, Frans Graumans, Niels Groot Nibbelink, Rikke Engelbrecht, Bart Hems, Nikki Hussaarts, Vincent Roelofs, LIBA, VC Someren, Sloten, Denkavit, Alpuro and many livestock farmers and others that, in various ways, offered us inspiration, knowledge, assistance and openness Young Stock Signals is an edition of the successful CowSignals® series. CowSignals® is a registered trademark of Vetvice®. © Jan Hulsen, 2016 No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published in print, photocopy or any other means whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publishers.

CowSignals® Training Company Hoekgraaf 17A 6617 AX Bergharen The Netherlands T +31 (0)6 54 73 53 E info@cowsignals.com I www.cowsignals.com

Authors and publishers have composed the contents of this publication with great care and to the best of their knowledge. However, the authors and publishers shall accept no liability due to damage of any nature whatsoever, resulting from actions and/or decisions based on the information provided. The publisher has tried to trace the copyright holders of the all image material. When a source has remained unmentioned, holders of rights may contact the publisher. ISBN: 978-90-8740-244-0

Contents

Introduction. Goal: producing dairy cows Investing in the future

4 5

3. Housing and organization Goal – plan – action – measurement – evaluation

40 41

Different phases

Climate and ventilation

Working with young stock signals

Solid feed and roughage are a must

Barn layout and housing space

What do you do if you see this?

4. On the way to getting in calf

Picking up young stock signals

Recording infections/biosecurity

Biosecurity – limiting infection transmission

Success factors for preventing infection and disease transmission

Monitoring procedures for young calves

1. Calving and the first days of life

12 13

Growth tables

Heat detection and inseminating

Grazing

Cleaning schedule + disinfecting your equipment

Removing the calf

Housing for the youngest calves

Diarrhoea – prevention and action

2. Up to and including weaning

Types of diarrhoea and treatments

Group housing – manual feeding and

Bedding down Water

Getting in calf

55 57

Basic rules for driving cattle

5. From getting in calf to introduction

Accommodation – comfort and acclimatization

Calves also need to learn

Composition of the ration eaten – manure score

Index

30 31

Assessing health

Treating the calf

Diagnosis checklist for diarrhoea in young calves

Weaning

Body condition score

Condition assessment

Correct ration composition

Observing critically

Planning and calf movement day

Organization

Colostrum quality – antibodies and bacterial count

Plenty of fresh colostrum, quickly

automatic feeders

Mineral supply

Growth, weight and body condition

Assisted or unassisted calving

Feeding calf milk

Cleaning and disinfecting individual housing

Calving – layout and organization

Solid feed

Solid feed and roughage intake

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Dry cow and heifer introduction

Colostrum management

Respiratory health

Hoof health

Desirable and undesirable behaviour Daily feed intake – rumen fill score

65 67

Main inspection and interventions for in-calf heifers 70

Goal: producing dairy cows

INTRODUCTION

Goal: producing dairy cows Successfully rearing young stock is the result of working in a smart and disciplined way. If you do the right things, they always do well. This means satisfying the needs of each calf every day, in a cost-effective, fast and easy way.

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Set out goals and realize them

It would be better if we called ‘young stock rearing’ ‘dairy cow rearing’. After all, our intention is to produce a dairy cow which is capable of optimum milk production through 6 lactations and longer, gets in calf quickly and does not cause any health or other problems. You need to specify all this in concrete goals, on which you base your management. In addition, you work with specific goals for the various elements of rearing, e.g. colostrum intake, weight and concentrate intake at weaning, weight at 13 months, diarrhoea and disorders, and hoof health.

After calving, the heifer should weigh 85% of her adult weight. Then she can fit well into the herd and barn, and does not need to grow excessively during the first lactation.

The results of successful rearing

Checkpoints – abortions, uterine infections and heifer calf deaths in the first 60 days of life. The following are valid for all checkpoints – goal: <5%, norm: <10%. 4

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Health

Space

Good rearing produces a heifer that: • delivers a healthy calf (from a selected sire) without any problems • calves at 22-24 months of age • weighs ≥ 580 kg (1279 lb) after calving (HF, ‘Holstein Friesian’) • is 100% healthy and has resistance, e.g. through vaccinations • is familiar with the barn, feed, floor, feed fence and free stalls, and knows how to handle herself among the dairy herd. Optimum housing and good nutrition lay down the basis for these factors. But success lies mainly in good implementation of the correct procedures.

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The Cow Signal Diamond shows the 7 necessities in a calf’s life. Ensure that you provide these to each calf every day, and keep a check on them.

Yo u n g S t o c k S i g n a l s

Investing in the future

Economics of young stock rearing

Rearing young stock is an investment but, naturally, you want to keep the costs as low as possible. To that end, you need to understand where it is best to reduce costs, and how you can do that. For example, cheaper feed must not result in heifers that are too small or extending the duration of the rearing period. Rearing fewer young stock reduces the total rearing costs and the environmental cost (manure and CO2 emissions). Usually, the cost per heifer reared will rise, because your spread of fixed costs is over a smaller number of animals.

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If you rear too many young stock, you are much more likely to cull cows earlier.

Cost structure for in-house heifer rearing Investment:

Item

Roughage

Crop costs Contract work Rent All own labour

583.00

High yield/ha (ac) Low harvesting, storage and feed losses Short rearing period Good animal health Low buying-in prices

Labour

All own labour

470.00

Efficient working routes and order of tasks Efficient procedures Good animal health Automation/mechanization

Housing

Buildings

291.00

Short rearing period Low mortality

Livestock costs

Health care, AI, interest, mortality, miscellaneous

230.00

Short rearing period Good biosecurity/animal health Low mortality

165.00

Feed policy and management Good biosecurity Good animal health and resistance Optimum climate

Amount â&#x201A;Ź1

Milk, milk powder, concentrates

Water and electricity

Total

27.00

1,766.00 5.7 ct/kg milk3

Introduction. Goal: producing dairy cows

Optimizing through

No leaks Natural light Energy-efficient apparatus Energy-efficient procedures

This table shows the cost structure for in-house heifer rearing. Certain expenses can vary on individual farms, e.g. housing and roughage costs. To reduce costs it is wisest to start with the biggest items, or with factors that can have the greatest influence, e.g. the length of the rearing period, animal health and roughage costs.

1. This amount is an estimate for a dairy farm with 100 milking cows, an annual production of 900,000 kg (1,984,161 lb) of milk, 30% replacement rate, and heifer calving age at 2 years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; calculated using the Jonkos calculation model, version 6-2013. (Wageningen University/DLV) 2. Six months, grazing in the second year of the lifecycle. 3. Calculated on an average lifetime milk production of 31,000 kg (68,343 lb).

Different phases

Make a weekly schedule Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Cattle movement day: Drying off cows + hoof trimming

Vet visits (every other week)

Bedding down calves and heifers

Checking navels Weaning calves Moving calves

Cleaning all drinking bowls Bedding down calves and heifers Manure pumping

Cleaning out the hutches, pressure wash + disinfection

Foot bath: • milking cows • dry cows + heifers • heifers

Heifers to the milking cow house, hoof trimming, weighing, clipping, inspection Cleaning all drinking bowls Manure pumping Bedding down calves and heifers Silage clamps and silos: slide up the cover, fix in place, tidy up Order feed

Milking parlour day: • deep cleaning milking machine • inspecting rubber parts + replacing • cleaning lights • deep cleaning the filter holder and tank • cooling unit: topping up oil Every 2 weeks: Deep cleaning the parlour • pit floor and walls • cow stall-work

Daily work: • left over jobs from Tuesday 14 days: • left over jobs from Tuesday Monthly: • left over jobs from Tuesday

Tractor, tele-handler, feed wagon: • fill up fuel tanks • lubricate • check oil (engines + hydraulics) • clean air filters and cooling systems

Saturday

Bedding down calves and heifers Silage clamps and silos: slide up the cover, fix in place, tidy up

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Tank room cleaning: • tank, pipework, lights, walls and ceiling • cleaning the outside of the tank + all the screws • pre-cooler filter cleaning

Sunday

Working according to a weekly schedule ensures that you are always doing the right things at the right time. Preventive work and maintenance will not come first or you will not do them well if you do not work to a plan.

Age and care requirements

Rearing a calf divides into seven periods, each with its own characteristics. The timeline below applies to heifers that calve at 24 months of age. There is wide variation in rearing period length from one farm to another.

Calving – a good start to the rearing period requires quick calving and a clean arrival in the World.

Calving Age

Day 0

Weight 40 kg (88 lb)

The first days Drinking milk 3 days to 0-3 days 8 weeks 40 kg (88 lb)

Intensive care

The first two weeks, the nursery stage – very sensitive, especially for infections.

The first two months, the care phase – very vulnerable, and need preparation for weaning.

40-80 kg (88-176 lb)

Weaning

2 months

80 kg (176 lb) Protection

Eight months to gestation – the calf gets stronger, managed growth.

Growing

Getting in calf Pregnant 7-13/15 13/15-22/24 2-7 months months months 210-370/390 kg 80-210 kg 350-580 kg (463-816/ (176-463 lb) (772-1279 lb) 860 lb) Max. growth AI Managed growth

Up to seven months, slightly delicate – still vulnerable, may well grow very fast.

In-calf heifer

In-calf heifer – maturing phase.

Yo u n g S t o c k S i g n a l s

Picking up young stock signals

Read your calves

Daily attention to young stock signals will tell you about how the animals feel and are developing, and how healthy they are. For targeted and conscientious observation, you should always ask yourself 3 questions: 1. What can I see? 2. Why is that? 3. Is it good? If not, what do I need to do to improve it? Using young stock signals is a question of better observation, so that you will notice more.

Picture Puzzle A UNO – what do you see? What do you do?

Looking with awareness and taking time for checks Observing and checking is a skill you can learn and improve. And you should make it a routine part of your work. What should you look for? Are you seeing everything there is to see? Do you take enough time? Do you look at every calf? Are you critical and not a victim of professional blindness? Do you know how you should intervene, and do it in good time? Do you actually improve the factors that you could?

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Checking is important work

You need to develop the skill and train yourself to ensure that checking is an easy task. If not, you will not do it often enough or sufficiently well. Look in particular for calf signals that you know will provide useful information, e.g. alertness, ear position, and the composition and thickness of manure.

Unexplained notable observations (UNOs)

Keep an eye out for unexpected developments. This will allow you to notice things that you may not understand and were not looking for – which we will call unexplained notable observations (UNOs). Looking for and finding UNOs will help you to continue learning – ‘Oh! Is that how it is?’

This calf has sawdust around its mouth, and that means that it must be eating the bedding. But why? Young calves will eat their bedding when they cannot eat enough roughage. Make sure that milk-fed calves can always eat plenty of fresh and healthy roughage. They do this best when they have plenty of fresh water to drink.

Regular checking What is happening? Daily: behaviour/general impression What do you put into it? health/disease What is the result? feed intake/utilization New-born calf rest/hygiene A heifer comfort/climate UNOs Regularly: growth and condition During the rearing process, you should check the quality of the calf’s progress at three stages – at the start (the newborn calf), during the rearing period (daily at fixed times) and at the end (the heifer and her performance). Make checks on the stock you are rearing a regular part of your routine.

Introduction. Goal: producing dairy cows

Working with young stock signals

High-risk periods

A calf goes through many big changes. It has to deal with profound factors, both mental and physical. And the times they occur are high-risk periods, as are occasions when the body goes through difficult challenges (e.g. cold, agitation). A calf is very vulnerable during a risk moment. Resistance reduces, growth can stagnate and the animal can get sick. Make sure you know when there is a period of risk, and learn to recognize it again. Try to minimize any changes for the calf, and the influence they have on the animal. Know the points to look for, so that you can run targeted checks. And know how you should handle any problems that may occur.

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Some high-risk periods: • birth • the first days and weeks • housing changes, changing pen or box • changing groups • changes in the weather • weaning • changing over to grazing • periods with a lot of work/little time (silage making, when you are sick, the time of a special event).

Familiarization with new things takes at least a week (change of feed, pen, group of animals, etc.). Weaning is a high-risk time. To be ready for weaning, a calf must be eating at least 2 kg (4.4 lb) of concentrate per day, and plenty of the same roughage that it will get after being weaned. Leave the calf in the same group and pen or box for at least one week after weaning.

Calf hutches are excellent, but if they are far away or in a location that is difficult to access the chances are that you will check the calves infrequently and intervene too late. And daily care tasks such as giving feed and water are more trouble, certainly at high-risk periods, e.g. bad weather or occasions when you are short of time. 8

Yo u n g S t o c k S i g n a l s

Working with young stock signals

Standard procedures

You can be most sure of doing things well if you always work in the same way. And you can only monitor whether a method is delivering the right results if you stick to the same one. Thus you should work with standard procedures. If you write it down, you have a protocol. Discuss and evaluate your protocols regularly. In addition, protocols are a great way to introduce a new colleague to their work.

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Heifers get in calf after an average of 1.4 inseminations. This is your goal and your key performance indicator. If it requires a greater number of inseminations, you want to know why. Is it a problem in the individual heifers or a general farm problem? Is it the nutrition or the care, poor heat detection or the insemination?

Jointly creating and adapting standard procedures is essential for working well with others. Simply copying protocols does not work.

Know yourself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Where would you place yourself in this table?

Rearing young stock comes down to providing a lot of care to young, vulnerable animals. Some people are naturally very careful, and like working to established routines. Others do not have so much of this tendency. Those who know themselves well can utilize their strong points and make sure that their weaker areas do not have a disadvantageous effect.

Is a perfectionist

Watch out for loss of oversight

An ideal young stock manager

Works according to established methods

Works impulsively No calf gets the same care

A big risk of structural faults

Is quickly pleased

Introduction. Goal: producing dairy cows

Recording infections/biosecurity

How a calf picks up infections If you understand how a calf picks up infections, you will know better how to prevent it. And you know why you perform preventative work, such as cleaning, disinfecting and working with clean equipment.

The mother and the bedding in the calving pen

Other calves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; primarily the older and sick ones

Pens or huts that have not had any cleaning, disinfecting and empty time

Contaminated milk and feed

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People who take care of the calves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their hands, clothing and footwear

Feeding equipment that is not clean or is used by other calves

Biosecurity

Biosecurity concerns the risk of pathogens infecting certain animals. The better the biosecurity, the lower the risk of infection. Biosecurity has founding principles: 1. The chance that pathogens can get into the farm or into a barn or group of animals. 2. The risk that pathogens within the farm, barn or group of animals can transfer from one animal to another.

Hygiene is therefore a very important part of biosecurity. As are, for example, partition of animal groups, separate clothing, and equipment for working with certain groups and doing vaccinations. A high level of biosecurity is very important for troublefree young stock rearing, especially for young calves. The importance becomes exponentially greater as the number of animals in a group increases.

Yo u n g S t o c k S i g n a l s

Biosecurity – limiting infection transmission

Slowing down and preventing infection transmission You cannot see pathogens with the naked eye, and that applies to their transmission. Yet you can make a good estimate of infection transmission, using signals about hygiene, health, comfort and disease.

The only way to keep your calves healthy is through highly structured, hygienic and careful work, in combination with good comfortable living conditions for your animals.

The source of contamination is usually an older calf, even though it may not be ill. And the mother and calving area are often an infection source.

The greater the number of calves, the more important hygiene and care are. The chance of infection transmission is far greater on a farm with a greater number of calves than on one with fewer.

Infections can spread through direct or indirect contact. Some examples of indirect contact are non-cleaned pens, the person looking after the animals, and equipment contaminated with muck and slime spreading around the farm.

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Resistance builds up through health, good nutrition and living conditions, including a freshly cleaned and disinfected pen or box on arrival.

Disease, major changes, cold, draughts, thirst, hunger, loneliness, discomfort, humidity and air pollution reduce a calf’s resistance.

The less often the calf is sick, the fewer pathogens it excretes. This depends on the number of germs it picks up, the disease-causing capacity of the pathogens and the calf’s resistance.

Make sure that a sick calf gets better as quickly as possible and prevent cross-infection to other calves.

Introduction. Goal: producing dairy cows

Success factors for preventing infection and disease transmission

Success factors for the prevention of infection transmission and disease among the youngest calves As you see, the art is to follow effective procedures. That calls for barn layout and equipment that makes proper work implementation easy and safe.

T H D IG TE R C Y P TE O O C R P

Make sure that the place where the calf is born has a thick layer of fresh, clean straw. Take the calf away from the mother immediately and lay it in the feed trough, on a thick layer of feed. That is a clean spot, and the cow can lick her calf dry.

Disinfect the navel and put the calf on a thick layer of fresh straw in a thoroughly clean pen. That is why you should always clean and disinfect a pen on the same day that you move a calf out, and leave it empty for at least one week. An empty period = pathogens dying.

Always work from the youngest to oldest, when feeding and caring for calves. If you load your calf pens from the furthest to the closest, that will be virtually automatic.

Take note of sick calves. Feed and handle them last, in a separate round. Follow a proper handling routine. When you have done the job, wash your hands and footwear, and change your overall.

Clean all the equipment you use for feeding and caring for calves immediately after use or at least once per day. If the calf is sick or there is a chance of disease, you should also disinfect all the equipment. Use dedicated buckets for each calf.

For each feed, the milk must be at 38-40 째C (100-104 째F) and really well dissolved, and have no bacterial contamination. A calf drinks at least 1.5 litres (3 US pt) per feed and 4.5 l (9.5 US pt) per day. You should refresh the water and solid feed every day.

Yo u n g S t o c k S i g n a l s

Monitoring procedures for young calves

Monitoring procedures for young calves Standard procedures comprise strict norms and criteria, which you must meet every time. You cannot check certain norms and criteria daily. You assess those less frequently, depending on their importance, the inherent risk and the cost. It is best to monitor in a planned way, which means at set times, and before problems occur.

Every feed

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Calf milk temperature, 40-42 °C (104-108 °F)

Specific weight of the calf milk – exactly the target weight

After, for example, every 100 calves (e.g. every 6 months on a farm with 100 cows)

Cleaning, maintenance and replacement, following a task list (picture – a deposit in a milk hose)

Device calibration, checking weight, temperature, bacterial count etc.

Colostrum intake – through blood sample examination, from 3 to 5 calves at 3-5 days of age

Bacterial count – 3 colostrum samples at feeding time, on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd day

Introduction. Goal: producing dairy cows

Young Stock Signals illustrates the procedures and concepts for actually achieving that. A guide full of practical solutions that cost little time and give a lot of job satisfaction.

From left to right: Rear row: Dr. Nico Vreeburg, Dr. Bertjan Westerlaan, Dr. Marcel Drint, Dr. Bert van Niejenhuis Front row: Dr. Jan Hulsen, Dr. Joep Driessen, ir. Wiebe Veenstra

The best young stock rearers have clear goals, and they keep their finger constantly on the pulse. They make efficient use of labour, housing and nutrition, and carry out daily checks to ensure each calf is in optimum health. This book describes their working method. Young Stock Signals is a practical guide, where everyone who wants to rear young stock will find valuable information. The clear text, schedules and images make the information practical and directly applicable.

www.cowsignals.com

Health

Young Stock Signals www.vetvice.com

Jan Hulsen

Young Stock Signals is an edition in the Cow Signals series®. CowSignals® presents practical knowledge about animal-oriented dairy cattle keeping, in an accessible way.

www.roodbont.com

e Fe

Light

Vetvice’s consultants and trainers.

Jan Hulsen

T H D G I TE R C Y P TE O O C R P

The Cow Signal Diamond

Space

‘Good calf rearing star ts before bir th, and continues

Young Stock Signals

About the author

A practical guide to the healthy rearing of dairy cows

Air