Focus on Calves by WynnstayGroup

FOCUS ON CALVES Technical advice for rearing healthy calves

DESIGN OUR COVER!

We would love our little next generation farmers to have a go at designing our front cover!

wynnstay.co.uk 1

See page 3 for details of how to get involved!

MEET THE CALF & YOUNGSTOCK TEAM Eimear Diamond

Calf & Youngstock Manager

m: 07881 379008 e: eimear.diamond@wynnstay.co.uk @diamondcalf1

Sammy Howorth

Laura Monk

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Lancashire & Cumbria

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and West Sussex

m: 07810 444948 e: sammy.howorth@wynnstay.co.uk

m: 07767 275662 e: laura.monk@wynnstay.co.uk

@howorthcalf1

@monkcalf1

Elinor Thomas

Hannah Braithwaite

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Mid & South Wales

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Shropshire, Cheshire and N. Wales (Maternity Cover)

m: 07500 979398 e: elinor.thomas@wynnstay.co.uk

m: 07881 093633 e: hannah.braithwaite@wynnstay.co.uk

@thomascalf1

Millie Hendy

@hannahcalf1

Calf & Youngstock Specialist South West & Midlands

m: 07717 495746 e: millie.hendy@wynnstay.co.uk @hendycalf1

Key

Sammy Hannah Millie Elinor Laura

wynnstay.co.uk

INTRODUCTION Welcome to our 8th edition of the Focus on Calves. As I write this, I am crossing the Irish sea for what feels like the 100th time (now firmly a Stena Line gold member!) Whilst COVID-19 has taken much from us, it has also forced us to take stock and appreciate who and what is around us. Local businesses and farms have been well supported during the pandemic, a practice which I hope continues long after the airports have opened, and face masks have disappeared. Supporting local is not exclusive to the supermarket shelves – turn to page 31 to read about the success of SuperNova. The very first calf milk replacer with all proteins coming exclusively from within the UK, underpinning the local milk field. What is new in the world of calf rearing? Page 20-21 Georgina Thomas from Trouw explains calf scour in a whole new light, and the correct strategies for correcting diarrhoea. We also explore smaller stature calves, and discuss how they are not just smaller Holsteins, and they should be managed differently. New research is not always the answer. Sometimes we need to adjust and re-evaluate current practices to get the most from our youngstock. Elinor Thomas evaluates calf jackets and how to use them correctly, with Laura Monk exploring weaning strategies and what works best. We have an exciting competition on page 35 where you could win a fantastic prize, be sure to enter so that you don’t miss your chance of winning! We ran a competition in May to find some new images to feature within our Focus on Calves newsletter, within this publication you will find our chosen winners. Thank you to everyone who sent images, we loved seeing them!

DESIGN OUR COVER! You will notice that our front cover is a little different to usual…….we would love some of our little next generation farmers to get involved to help us create a unique front cover that will stand out. Have a go at designing our cover and send a photo of your cover design to marketing@wynnstay.co.uk. We will then share our favourite designs on social media. As the world slowly opens again, we are looking forward to seeing you soon with lots of exciting plans for the year ahead.

Eimear Diamond

Calf & Youngstock Manager

m: 07881 379008 e: eimear.diamond@wynnstay.co.uk @diamondcalf1

CONTENTS 3: Introduction

20-21: Nutritional strategies are key in supporting recovery from calf diarrhoea

6-7: Genetics Q&A

24-25: Age at first calving

10-11: Why should we encourage more litres fed per calf?

28-29: The management of calves

14-15: When pulling causes problems; how to manage calves from difficult births

32: The GB calf strategy - Red Tractor’s role

2: Meet The Calf & Youngstock Team 5: Start ‘n’ Wean

22-23: Weaning: When and the how

8-9: Focusing on feeding calves for cost efficiency

26-27: Calf jackets - are we using them correctly 30: Considerations for pregnant heifers 31: Supernova triumph

13: Smaller stature calves and energy requirements

33: No such thing as a silver bullet

16: Calf shed non-negotiables

34: Calf rearing essentials

17: An overview of mycoplasma in youngstock

35: Enter to win

18: Beef on dairy

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

20%

23%

18%

22%

20%

23%

19%

20%

17%

26%

Oil

Protein

Oil

Protein

Oil

Protein

Oil

Protein

Oil

Protein

& CALF MILKS

• Made using the highest quality ingredients • A variety of formulations to meet different rearing objectives • Nutritionally balanced to meet the demands in the first few weeks of life • Sustainable and responsibly sourced raw materials • Free from soya • Manufactured in Britain

27%

SUMMER MILK POWDER OFFER 28 June - 6 August 2021 th

23%

Please contact your Calf & Youngstock Specialist or Wynnstay Representative for full details

Oil

Protein 50% Skim 100% Dairy Protein

20% wynnstay.co.uk

Oil

23%

19%

21%

20%

27%

25%

23%

19%

20%

Protein

Oil

Protein

Oil

4Protein

Oil

Protein

Oil

Protein

START ‘N’ WEAN Youngstock are the future of your herd, so optimising their growth and development is the key to future profitability. Start ‘n’ Wean is specifically formulated to set up a healthy rumen by three months of age.

A good calf starter ration should have the following elements: • • • • • • • •

Attractive smell Palatability Be highly digestible Optimum levels of starch Natural sugars High level of undegradable protein Balanced vitamins and minerals Effective health pack

health pack unique to Wynnstay A combination of rumen specific live yeast, very high levels of Mannan Oligosaccharide (MOS) and essential minerals and vitamins • The combination of a probiotic and prebiotic has been chosen to optimise rumen development as well as help protect the lower gut • Significantly increases average daily gain and feed conversion ratio • Improves weaning success by ensuring a smoother, safer transition to solid feed

Maize, wheat and barley - release starch at variable rates which is digested to create volatile fatty acids. These organic acids stimulate the growth of rumen papillae which grow longer in this healthy environment Nutritionally improved straw (NIS) - slows fermentation, prevents acid peaks and enables the rumen to extract more nutrients. Increased intakes and improved daily liveweight gains Hipro Soya - highly digestible protein source, essential for growth

Sugar Beet Pulp, Molasses - natural sugars help growth of a

START ‘N’ WEAN

healthy bacteria population to digest concentrate efficiently

Start ‘n’ Wean is available from your Wynnstay Calf & Youngstock Specialist, Wynnstay Representative or your local depot

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

GENETICS Q&A As Calf and Youngstock Specialists, our aim is to produce healthy, profitable calves whether this is beef or dairy. We work closely with other advisors and vets on farm to ensure we are maximising potential for your business. Hannah Braithwaite recently spoke to two leading genetic companies for a short Q&A on the advancements in genetics and their professional opinion on the industry. How have the changes in bovine genetics technology influenced your semen sales over the past three years? David - Genomics and Sexcel. With genomic testing, the rate of genetic index progression, is greater now, than it has ever been. Farmers have greater access to their herds genetic data and are able to make (with our help) better and more accurate breeding decisions. This coupled with our increased conception rates and heifer/bull skew rates from Sexcel, means that more and more farmers are going down the Sexcel and beef route and dropping conventional dairy semen completely. Andrew - With the quality of our sexed semen increasing all the time, alongside the wide availability of sexed semen in our sire line up, we have seen a massive move away from conventional semen. The conception rate on SexedULTRA 4M is now comparable to conventional semen, alongside Gender purity in excess of 91% on our standard product and 96-97% in our High Purity product, farmers are able to pinpoint the number of heifers they need from their best animals, leaving more animals available to produce a high-quality beef calf.

2. Will the increase use of sexed female dairy semen effect the number of replacements available in the future? David - It could do. Herds that have historically found it difficult to breed enough dairy replacements from just using conventional dairy semen, now have a far greater chance to be able to control their replacement numbers because of the strength of their results from Sexcel semen. But the biggest effect, we are seeing, is the focus on being able to breed replacements from the most suitable animals on the farm.

3. What are the benefits of implementing a semen strategy plan for your herd? Sexed and Beef

GENETICS Q&A

Andrew - The benefits are multifaceted. Firstly, the speed of genetic gain can be increased dramatically, especially when combined with Genomic testing, as more selection pressure can be placed on the key profitable traits for an individual farm, allowing for only elite animals within the herd to contribute to the future genetic makeup. Secondly, beef calf sales are able to significantly increase, improving cash flow and pressure on facilities as they are often sold within four weeks of birth. Lastly, the synergy that comes with all of the previous points creates a much more profitable environment, and a much greater return on the initial semen spend investment.

wynnstay.co.uk

4. What are the top three traits you get asked for from a dairy farmer? David - That is actually quite a difficult question to answer. There are so many factors to take into account on each individual farm, their farm business goals, milk contract, the environment that the cows will be living in etc, that I couldn’t just pick three individual traits, that could cover all that, for every farm. What is common though would be the breeding goals that I’m trying to help dairy farmers to achieve. Generally, they would be to breed increasingly profitable cows, with great health traits and longevity. Using an index, PLI, SCI, ACI would be the starting point, using our mating programme (GMS), benchmarking and choosing criteria, that are important and relevant to that farm and business. They all combine to help achieve those goals. Andrew - For beef, it would be calving ease, gestation length and calf quality, but it is not necessarily about maximizing any of them, it is more about finding the right balance between all three to get the right balance of an easy born calf, that also is able to attract the premium from the calf buyer. For dairy, it would be much more complex and much more farm specific. Customers are more aware of how their farm is paid for its milk than ever before and it is important to tailor the bull selection to chase the money! Having a clear plan of where the herd is at genetically, and a focused, long term goal to aim for is the key. With the milk buyers paying more for components, particularly fat we have seen that become a key driver on a large proportion of farms.

5. With more beef coming from the dairy herd is it important that’s dairy farmers do not just select for calving ease with beef bulls? David - Ultimately, it’s the most important trait as impacts the cow at the most critical part of her lactation, and it can have a huge impact on the calf’s survival. Although, with the research work we are doing, we can supply calving ease, calf quality and great growth rates with many of our beef bulls. So there is less of a need, just to focus on calving ease. Take blues for example, we supply primarily British Blues to dairy farmers not Belgian Blues. They really are different breeds. British Blues are a lot easier calving, still with great calf quality and growth rates. Average calving difficulty for the British Blues we sell is 3%. I don’t have the figures for Belgian Blues but I believe it’s well into double figures. Andrew - Calving ease is extremely important as hard calvings cost a lot of money and the unseen impact is far reaching. However, we feel that over the many years of data collection and analysis we have been able to consistently deliver UK Proven, easy calving sires that also have the ability to produce a high-quality calf at the end of it. By utilizing the financial indexes that we have developed, farmers have the opportunity to maximise their beef calf crop regardless of their outlet.

Thanks to David Gough and Andrew Holiday for taking part in our Genetics Q&A David Gough

Andrew Holliday

Genus

GENETICS Q&A

Genetics Manager for Cogent Breeding Ltd

Hannah Braithwaite

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Shropshire, Cheshire and N. Wales (Maternity Cover)

m: 07881 093633 e: hannah.braithwaite@wynnstay.co.uk @hannahcalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

FOCUSING ON FEEDING CALVES FOR COST EFFICIENCY Unfortunately, we cannot shy away from increasing feed costs but we can pay less attention to daily feed costs or cost per ton and more attention on costs per kg daily liveweight gain. Nutrients are valuable, whether this is through milk replacer, starter feed, minerals or forage, they all come at a cost! When making decision on feed and management for calves and heifers, it is easy to choose the middle option. However, we need to view these costs as an investment and think about how the decisions we make now, will affect future outcomes.

Here we have Farm A and Farm B:

Do you buy feed at the lowest cost per ton without considering how your cows will perform on it?

FOCUSING ON FEEDING CALVES FOR COST EFFICIENCY

Of course not. Now I ask how do you choose a starter or milk replacer for your calves? Do you look at cost per ton or price per bag? A low cost per ton means nothing if it doesn’t get the results you need. We cannot measure performance from milk in the tank likewise with our cows, but we can measure our heifer’s performance by tracking their growth, the closer we stay to our growth curve the sooner we will be able to breed as they reach 55% mature BW.

Farm A

Farm B

£/t

£1,600

£1,700

Protein %

Oil %

Grams fed per day

625

900

ME provided

11.4

17.2

Expected ADG

0.5kg

0.8kg

£ per kg growth

£2

£1.91

Initially some would look at the £/T and think they are saving £100/T and rightly so. Farm A is feeding 125g/l over 5L as recommended on the bag and would be expecting gains of around 0.5kg/day. Milk powder costs would be £1/ head per day, but when you calculate milk replacer cost per kg liveweight gain it would actually cost £2/head per day.

When we are fixated with cost per ton, we are forgetting the bigger picture which is calf health and performance. Although we are progressing through research pushing calves with higher volumes, it is still common to try and save costs by feeding lower rates/quantities per calf, or purchasing in a lower specification that is not formulated for baby calves.

As soon as any challenge, stress, disease or change in weather, reaches that calf, your average daily gain will decrease as that calf needs more energy to cover maintenance requirements.

Think about maintenance as a fixed cost, your calf requires 450g per day simply to live and breathe, feeding more replacer will help increase daily weight gains and decrease your cost per kg DLWG. Farm B is buying a 23% protein 20% oil milk replacer. Let’s say we increase the DM to 15% and increase litres to 6L/ day, a total 900g powder per day. By doing this we are now achieving daily liveweight gains of 0.8kg/day, given environmental factors and no additional stressors. At £34/ bag an additional £2/bag when compared to Farm A, and we have an increased daily cost of £1.53/day. However, due to the higher DLWG, we have a lower cost per kg liveweight gain of £1.91/day.

Image supplied by Lucy Sanger wynnstay.co.uk

Of course, there will be a point of diminishing returns and these two examples are shown to make the point about £/ DLWG.

The feed costs are not the only factor to consider when looking at costs per kg, management and calf health are essential to any efficient calf and heifer growth. Reducing stressors by correct stocking density, avoiding heat or cold stress and improving air quality will result in more growth and dilute you cost per daily liveweight gain. Ensuring gold standard protocols through colostrum management, hygiene, early life nutrition and overall cleanliness with help minimise the need for treatment costs, therefore, not contributing to increased cost per kg gain.

For advice on managing feed costs as part of your youngstock management on-farm speak to your Wynnstay Calf & Youngstock Specialist or Wynnstay Representative.

Feeding an excessive amount of milk replacer to the point calves are wasting it will increase the cost per liveweight gain! Additionally, over feeding certain nutrients and limiting others can be a waste of money, especially when it comes to amino acids. You should work closely with your vet, youngstock specialist and nutritionist to identify calf feed programmes that’ll result in low cost per kg/DLWG whilst reaching desired targets.

Millie Hendy

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Gloucestershire, Avon & Midlands

m: 07717 495746 e: millie.hendy@wynnstay.co.uk

@hendycalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

FOCUSING ON FEEDING CALVES FOR COST EFFICIENCY

Finally, I appreciate there is no need for additional expenditure in our youngstock enterprise but we need to monitor in order to know our performance and ensure we are investing into the future of our herd efficiently. Look at these additional expenses as investments. For example, purchasing a calf scale will help identify (if any) bottle necks and inefficiencies in your system. If scales aren’t an option weigh tapes are a good affordable alternative and although not as accurate, they are certainly a better judge than by eye. By doing so this will allow you to reassess your system and potential save you money in the long run.

WHY SHOULD WE ENCOURAGE MORE LITRES FED PER CALF? The calves natural feeding behaviour is to suckle off their dam little and often like an ad-lib system. Suckled calves would have around 10/15L of milk a day which is always fresh and warm, giving them more than 1.5kg of dry matter per day from milk. This is coupled with lower solid feed concentration intake and gradual rumen development. For many years, milk has been restricted to keep feed and labour costs low, however recent studies show that feeding more milk, as close to ad-lib as possible in early life, has shown increased daily liveweight gain, earlier onset to puberty, resilience to disease, as well as the potential for higher milk production sustained over multiple lactations.

WHY SHOULD WE ENCOURAGE MORE LITRES FED PER CALF?

The most important factors for young calves are health, nutrition and environment. Nutrition at a young age is extremely important as this is when the best feed conversion rates are achieved, the more milk we feed the better return on investment. Feeding calves as close to ad-lib on a good quality milk replacer with access to clean water and starter feed helps to maximise those targets and achieve lifetime performance - you only have one chance to capture this potential. Optimal Development It has been proven that an elevated nutrition plan has positive effects on organ development and gene expression.

Nutrition at a young age is extremely important as this is when the best feed conversion rates are achieved, the more milk we feed the better return on investment Research has shown that the majority of organ development - heart, liver, lungs and muscle occurs within the first 50 days of life with continued development until day 600. In the first few weeks, calves don’t eat much starter feed so are almost entirely dependent on the nutrition from milk or milk replacer, feeding more of this will help maximise their performance and achieve their full potential. Feeding an elevated plane of nutrition in early life supports rapid growth. The calf should be a minimum of double the birth weight by weaning and be 55-60% of mature body weight for first breeding. The most profitable time for calving heifers is 24 months, they will outperform later calvers over their first five years of life. The development of mammary tissue is essential for future productivity of the cow. Studies have shown that cells within the mammary gland are nutritionally responsive in the early neonatal period. Increased nutrient intake to achieve higher daily liveweight gain in pre weaned calves is a key factor in stimulating udder development in calves and heifers resulting in greater milk yields. Calves fed an enhanced feed plan had more mammary parenchymal mass. Resilience to Disease Disease can be a big problem in calves, it is very important to give quality colostrum quickly, practice sound hygiene in the calf shed and a support calves with a high plane of nutrition. Feeding higher amounts of quality milk replacer will give the calf increased energy giving more support for the immune system. This will help the calf cope better with environmental fluctuations e.g. periods of cold weather. Feeding a calf an enhanced feed plan through a teat will satisfy its sucking reflex and reduce the need for the calf to suck elsewhere, including other calves’ navels, gates etc. This will also be a contribution to reducing disease that could be picked up from the environment.

Image supplied by Amelia Hull

wynnstay.co.uk

Longevity Young calves are the future, they will repay the investment through higher milk production and a longer productive life, so giving them the best start is vital. Survivability and a high lifetime milk yield is very important, the cows need to last more than one lactation and reach their full milk yield potential to pay back rearing costs and become a profitable animal. So, the more litres of milk fed, the more quality nutrients to help the animal grow, develop and build immunity to disease, giving them the best chance to live a long, productive life. Conclusion Calves need the best start in life to reach their full potential, aiming high to hit targets for growth, development, fertility, survivability, and lifetime yield. Feeding more litres of milk per calf provides an increased energy supply, giving them more chance to grow and develop as well as a higher resilience to disease and, therefore, a higher chance of achieving their full potential. The more you invest pre weaning, the more benefit you will realise in the long-term - so don’t be afraid to increase the litres fed per calf and increase production rates.

Image supplied by William Hendy

Hannah Braithwaite

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Shropshire, Cheshire and N. Wales (Maternity Cover)

m: 07881 093633 e: hannah.braithwaite@wynnstay.co.uk @hannahcalf1

Unlock the full potential of your calves Achieve higher performance through a unique focus on early life nutrition. ruminants.lifestartscience.com

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

WHY SHOULD WE ENCOURAGE MORE LITRES FED PER CALF?

Nutrition can influence development of the gut and its immunity - vital for short-term health and longer term resilient to disease

The original Energized Calf Milk just got even better… Elixir+ They’re queueing up for

wynnstay.co.uk

SMALLER STATURE CALVES AND ENERGY REQUIREMENTS Should we be feeding our jersey and smaller stature calves differently to holsteins and larger breeds?

Crossbreeding has proven to maximise longevity, cow health and economic efficiency throughout UK dairy herds and, as a result, it is becoming more common for the Jersey cow to be integrated into the herd. The Jersey is known to be a robust commercial dairy cow, that brings a multitude of benefits into the herd, including; higher milk components, longevity, increased feed conversion efficiency and adaptability to a range of farm management systems. The Jersey cow has quickly become the worlds’ favourite dairy breed after the Holstein: they are famed for their creamy milk, strong hooves, good fertility and efficiency. There is a long list of reasons supporting the popularity of the Jersey cow but their unique breed characteristics must be taken into account when caring for and managing Jersey and smaller stature crossbred calves. The major differences between Jersey calves and larger framed breeds are: • Surface area to body weight ratio • Small birth weights and minimal fat reserves • Maintenance requirements and milk composition Surface Area to Body Weight Ratio Due to their small frame and body weight at birth the Jersey cow has a high surface area to body weight ratio (SA:BW), this exposes them to additional stress from cold weather compared to larger breeds. The thermoneutral zone for a larger breed new born calf is between 10°c and 25°c, however, for Jersey calves the lower end of the thermoneutral zone is 15°c. Body heat will deplete faster in Jersey calves because of their larger surface area, meaning Jerseys are more at risk of cold stress and dehydration. The Jersey cow requires more energy per unit of body weight just for maintenance due to their increased surface area (Bascol, 2002), this is around 20% greater than larger breeds for preweaning maintenance energy. This figure does not include extra energy needed for growth, so this must be taken into account when feeding; along with the additional impact of cold weather.

Crossbreeding has proven to maximise longevity, cow health and economic efficiency

Birthweight and Fat Reserves Averaging between 25kg and 30kg (Bascol, 2002), new-born Jersey calves are often around 15kg lighter than Holsteins. Jersey calves are born with minimal body fat reserves, at only 3%, this is quickly utilised by the calf to generate body heat after birth. As many spring calving herds are using Jersey and crossbreeds, the impact of cold stress must be taken into account. Often calving when the temperature is below 10°c which, as previously discussed, is below the thermal neutral zone for new-born Jersey calves. Visible shivering has been observed at 9°c in Jersey calves, even when the calf is dry, well fed, and there is no draught. Calves experiencing cold stress will mobilise body fat if energy is limiting in the diet and, as new-born calves only have around 3% body fat it is, therefore, crucial to ensure the energy supplied from the diet. Maintenance Requirements and Milk Composition Breed differences in milk composition are an indication that Jersey and crossbreed calves have higher maintenance requirements and, therefore, require a more energy dense diet than Holstein or larger framed breeds. On average Jersey milk is 5.45% butterfat and 3.88% protein, compared to the UK average of 4.15% butterfat and 3.35% protein. It is important to note the differences in the composition of Jersey milk, and what this means for the calf. If calves were left to nurse from the dam, the composition and quantity of milk produced would provide the essential nutrients the calf needs for maintenance and growth (Bascol, 2002). Research has shown that Jersey calves need higher concentrations of both protein and fat in the diet. Feeding Jersey calves a 20:20 milk replacer at 8-10% of body weight has been shown to support only modest rates of average daily gain. To aid sufficient growth and maintain good health studies have concluded that a milk replacer with a 25% fat content is recommended, particularly in colder weather. When feeding smaller stature calves it is important to take into account all of these unique breed characteristics and adjust according to what works on your farm. Feeding a high quality milk replacer with a fat content of 25% will help achieve top growth rates. Only energy that is proved in excess of the calf’s maintenance requirements can be used for growth (Bascol, 2002). Due to the low birth weights and minimal body fat reserves, it is important to have good management and colostrum protocols. During cold weather extra measures such as using calf jackets and ensuring calves can nest in straw will be beneficial in getting the best results from your calves.

For nutrition advice for your smaller stature calves, speak to your Calf & Youngstock Specialist or Wynnstay Representative 13

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

SMALLER STATURE CALVES AND ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

An increasing number of studies are suggesting we should. As crossbreeding within the dairy industry is becoming more popular, the number of smaller stature calves is increasing.

WHEN PULLING CAUSES PROBLEMS HOW TO MANAGE CALVES FROM DIFFICULT BIRTHS A difficult birth can have a negative impact on health, performance, and survivability of youngstock. We must aim to not only reduce levels and severity of dystocia but also put protocols in place to manage calves from difficult births. Dystocia is defined as delayed or difficult Calves that were born alive, but died before 24 hours of age, also were recorded as stillborn. Heifer calves were parturition/calving The scientific literature is quite clear and consistent that, when a calf needs to be pulled from the cow during birth, there are several potential negative consequences, depending on the severity of the intervention. Even minor assistance has been associated with delayed time to stand, anoxia (lack of oxygen), acidosis, and potentially, reduced absorption of IgG from colostrum. Of course, when a calf requires intervention, we must help. However, it is important to understand the ramifications of this intervention. If we have feet and no calf coming for some time, it leaves us little choice but to grab ropes, a jack and give nature a helping hand. The immediate relief of a live calf, and a healthy mother can distract us from thinking of the long-term impact the situation can have.

WHEN PULLING CAUSES PROBLEMS

The reality will be that calf has entered the world suffering from a lack of oxygen, and potential damage to joints or organs and respiratory acidosis. The trauma and potential pain result in calves being slow to stand, (Odde, 1988). Leading to increased time for the calf to receive adequate colostrum. A resulting failure of passive transfer from longer time to receive colostrum will expose a calf to be more susceptible to disease.

monitored for 120 d to evaluate morbidity and mortality. More than half (51.2%) of calves born to primiparous dams, compared with 29.4% of calves born to multiparous dams, required assistance during calving. A larger percentage of bull calves (40.0%) required assistance compared with heifer calves (33.0%). Heifer calves born to dams having severe dystocia had greater odds of stillbirth [odds ratio (OR) = 20.7] and treatment of respiratory disease (OR = 1.7), digestive disease (OR = 1.3), and overall heifer mortality (OR = 6.7). A significant interaction was detected between dystocia score, calf gender and dam parity. For calves having a severe dystocia, heifer calves (OR = 20.7) were at increased odds of stillbirth compared with bull calves (OR = 12.9). Calves born to multiparous dams and exposed to severe dystocia were more likely (OR = 35.9) to be stillborn than calves born to primiparous dams that were exposed to severe dystocia (13.0).

Postnatal respiratory acidosis in calves has been shown to adversely affect colostral immunoglobulin absorption, (Besser et al., 1990), despite adequate colostrum intake early in the absorptive period. It has also been found that dystocia can impair temperature regulation ability of calves, (Carstens, 1994.) Lombard et al, (2007) carried out a study on 7,788 calves across three Colorado dairies between October 1, 2001, and November 5, 2002. Dystocia score and calf birth status (alive vs. dead) were recorded at calving. Dystocia scores were assigned as follows: • Unassisted=1 • Mild dystocia=2 • Severe dystocia=3

Image supplied by Vicky Allen wynnstay.co.uk

Hard delivery calves, when they survive, should be treated as “high risk” animals

What can we learn from this? Hard delivery calves, when they survive, should be treated as “high risk” animals. Assuming that the number of assisted calving’s are not increasing or suddenly falling outside of your normal figures, focus on: Colostrum feeding. Having learned that these calves can have a reduced ability to absorb antibodies we should ensure multiple colostrum feeding for these calves as a priority. Colostrum should be given as soon as possible after birth (10% of body weight), and a further colostrum feed 6-8 hours later. Test colostrum and guarantee these calves receive the highest quality. Identify those at-risk calves. A difficult calving can impact the calf well into the first month of life, it is important that these calves are identified. A mark on the calf head or on its ear tag so that you can easily identify them in a group and pay extra attention to them. Be ready to intervene with these calves at the first sign of illness.

For those calves that do survive dystocia, what is the long-term impact? The odds of a heifer calf having a respiratory event were significantly increased for dystocia score 2 and 3 (OR = 1.5 and 1.7, respectively). The odds of heifer calves having a digestive event were increased for those calves born to dams that had a mild or severe dystocia. Overall heifer mortality increased with increasing dystocia score. Heifer calves with scores 2 and 3 were 1.3 and 6.7 times, respectively, more likely to be born dead or die between birth and 120 d of age than heifer calves that received no assistance during birth. Parity of the dam had a significant effect on overall heifer-calf death before 120 d of age because calves born to primiparous dams had 1.2 times greater odds of dying than those born to multiparous dams.

Eimear Diamond

Calf & Youngstock Manager

m: 07881 379008 e: eimear.diamond@wynnstay.co.uk @diamondcalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

WHEN PULLING CAUSES PROBLEMS

Recording. Start recording assisted or difficult calvings. This information can help you make informed decisions about your calf rearing, breeding and nutrition. Keeping records of the birth event and USING these records is the final step in best management of the calving area. Regular summaries of births, stillbirths, average calving score, time to feed the calf, and then correlate these data with preweaning mortality and growth will be very useful.

CALF SHED NON-NEGOTIABLES When it comes to calf rearing there are many topics we can stand in a yard (or sit in a pub!) And have a healthy debate over which milk powder to use, Protein in heifer diets, Single housing v group housing… the list is endless. There are a few things which are my nonnegotiables. I want to make sure they become the essentials on your farm too.

1. Stomach tubers - two of them: One for colostrum and one for electrolytes. We do not want to use the same tube for naïve new-born calves that is used on sick calves. Clean and disinfect after use. TOP TIP: keep in the freezer between uses to stop any remaining bacteria multiplying. Trusti Tubers are a great option; 4L capacity and easy to use. 2. Electrolytes:

We hear from Trouw Nutrition on page 20-21 on the importance of rehydration therapy, always keep a minimum of one box of electrolytes in the calf shed. I promise that it is not bad luck. Chances of needing to rehydrate a calf when your local Wynnstay Store is shut is high. Calves are sensitive; often when they are refusing a feed or scouring, we are already someway into a critical window of opportunity to hydrate and save them. Do not leave it to chance.

3. Artificial Colostrum:

Having heard in the publication we are left, once again, in no doubt about the importance of good quality, clean maternal colostrum. But, what about those times when you do not have enough colostrum to reach that magic 10% of bodyweight? Whether you need to completely replace a colostrum feed or need to supplement the colostrum you already have – Nettex Colostrum Gold is my product of choice. Look for a product that is 100% colostrum. Now is not the time to save money by buying a glorified milk powder. Replacing: 1.5-2 sachets and supplementing 0.5 sachets Again, I would recommend keeping at least two of these in stock and on hand for those emergencies.

4. Disinfectant:

Contrary to popular belief, whizzing over the calf shed with the power wash is achieving very little, apart from maybe spreading bacteria and disease a bit further around your yard. If you have taken the time to completely remove everything from the calf shed, you have done the hard part already. Below are the products which will ensure a healthy environment for calves to return to: Detergent: After the shed has been cleared of visible debris, foam all surfaces with a detergent. Leave for 20-30 mins. Rinse.

CALF SHED NON-NEGOTIABLES

Disinfectant: Spray all surfaces with a disinfectant proven to kill the bacteria and virus’ you have present in your calf shed. Allow to dry. Elinor Thomas Calf & Youngstock Specialist Mid & South Wales

m: 07500 979398 e: elinor.thomas@wynnstay.co.uk

@thomascalf1

Progiene Coxicur Disinfectant 5kg

Virophor 2.8% 5L/25L

65523/24

ONLY

£32

67637

• Broad spectrum DEFRA approved terminal disinfectant

25L

ONLY

£104

• Highly effective against Coccidiosis, Cryptosporidium, TB, viruses, bacteria, moulds and yeast

ONLY

£70 Stabilised iodophor disinfectant for surfaces and foot dip applications. Full DEFRA, DARDNI and Dept of Agri ROI approval. Low staining formulation which is economical in use All prices exclude VAT and are valid until 31st August 2021

Complete with mixer and pump

wynnstay.co.uk

• Ideal for use in calf housing, calving areas

Ecolab Inciprop Extra 22kg

43878

ONLY

£76

For use in animal housing, includes long cling foam technology

AN OVERVIEW OF MYCOPLASMA IN YOUNGSTOCK There are 13 species of Mycoplasma that can affect cattle, however, some are more aggressive to their host than others. The most significant in the UK appears to be Mycoplasma bovis. The disease was only discovered in the 1960’s and first found in the UK in the 1970’s. It is thought to be involved in a third to a quarter of all pneumonia cases in Britain. Once in a herd, it is a disease that is notoriously difficult to diagnose and control let alone eradicate.

Diagnosis Diagnosis is attained: • at the time of active infection via fluid samples taken directly from the lungs or swabs from the back of the nose • from samples at post mortem • from blood samples at least four weeks after clinical signs presented Speak to your veterinary surgeon to work out the best method to determine the presence of the disease on your farm. Control Due to mycoplasma’s lack of a cell wall there are only a limited number of antibiotics that are affective against the disease. Furthermore, because of its broad genetic variability, there is growing resistance to some of those antibiotics and therefore it is no longer considered prudent for some of those antibiotics to be used in anything other than in human medicine. Certain dairy processing firms are starting to look at reducing the use of these antibiotics and ultimately preventing their use all together. If mycoplasma is present on farm, a non-antibiotic approach to control should be a target in the future, for example a thorough steam clean and disinfection of accommodation between groups of calves in an all-in all-out system in each shed, is important to reduce transmission.

pasteurised colostrum/whole milk to calves and improving housing/ventilation. Improving on unhygienic milk feeding practices is also recommended and automatic feeding systems have been implicated in the disease spread. There are indications that calves may be infected whilst in the dam which could mean colostrum pasteurisation is futile. Vaccine Currently there are no vaccines that are licensed in the UK, however, there are a couple of options in terms of acquiring a vaccine. There are some companies that can create autogenous vaccines specific to the mycoplasma on the farm. Alternatively, a new vaccine created in USA has been granted access for use in the UK through a special import certificate (SIC) scheme. It is a one-shot vaccine covering three strains of the disease and will cover the animal for a year. In the case of protecting youngstock from pneumonia after weaning, they should be vaccinated at 60 days of age, however, if pneumonia occurs prior to weaning, it is recommended that the dam is vaccinated at drying off (it has a 60 day milk withhold). This will give the best chance of creating a good immune response to the disease for the cow and, therefore, a better chance of creating colostrum that will adequately protect the calf for the first few weeks of its life. Later, this should be followed up with the vaccine for the calf at 28-35 days of age which will allow the calf’s own immune system to build its own active immunity. This course of action will protect the calf through its most vulnerable period to pneumonia by reducing mortality, lung damage, antibiotic use and risk of antibiotic resistance; therefore, increasing growth rate and ultimately giving animals a better chance of entering the milking herd at two years of age. Best results will be seen where other causes of pneumonia are either controlled or not present. The author is aware of one farmer who has seen an increase in growth rate of 25% since starting the use of this vaccine. If in any doubt then speak to your veterinary surgeon for advice.

Prevention The most effective way to prevent any disease entering a herd is to run a closed herd (that means preventing contact of stock with neighbouring animals, not buying in stock or even bringing in a bull). The most effective method of preventing disease in a pre-weaned calf is to ensure adequate colostrum consumption within its first 24 hours of life. Other recommended methods include only feeding

Tom Laycock

Summerleaze Vets, Axminster

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

AN OVERVIEW OF MYCOPLASMA IN YOUNGSTOCK

Clinical signs The most common clinical sign of mycoplasma in the UK is pneumonia, sometimes as a sole agent but more commonly in combination with other viral, bacterial and parasitic agents. This can occur at any age in beef or dairy cattle, sometimes with poor response to treatment and there are cases of relapse commonly reported. Head tilt and ear drop are symptoms seen particularly in younger animals. In lactating animals, it can present as mastitis, though often as an incidental finding in cases of poor response to treatment. Arthritis leading to joint swellings can present. Less frequent symptoms include inflammation of the eye, meningitis, infertility and abortion.

BEEF ON DAIRY The beef on dairy market is a rapidly increasing sector of the dairy industry. Sometimes due to on farm factors, the best option is to sell calves under 42 days old and it is often a respectable third milk cheque for the dairy farmer, other options are to sell batches of weaned calves or carry on through the system and sell as stores or finished cattle. The process to enter each market requires careful and forward planning and will be dependent on many factors. An evaluation of your facilities, feeding programme, extra staff, time and available outlets for selling will give you a sense of what you can and want to do, based on farm capabilities and where the highest profit margin is for your dairy. Facilities Do you have the capacity to house more animals? If your farm is operating at peak per head capacity, avoid overcrowding your calves and consider building or restoring additional calf housing. Obviously if you are keeping these calves on through weaning/finishing you’ll need further housing. I would also consider your calving pattern, is there time to give the pens a rest, thoroughly mucking out and disinfecting between batches? If the answer is no then look to get the calves away sooner! Feed programme What do beef on dairy need? I often get asked for a cheaper alternative for beef calves, however not only for ease of the system; I often suggest a high-quality milk replacer likewise the heifers. Whether you are looking to sell at birth, post weaned or even at slaughter you are ultimately trying to reach highest, most efficient targets and prices through each of these stages. Profitability has to come into it but as with the heifers a mean for good hygiene, nutrition and management it will lead to better quality calves, that will perform in all systems and result in repeat buyers.

Management and labour Do you have the staff to feed additional stock? Additional calves will mean the routine checks and time feeding will take longer. Speak to your team, vet and nutritionist and ensure the system is not compromised.

BEEF ON DAIRY

Selling outlets Identifying your selling outlets is a must, this will determine how long the calf is on farm and targets you need to achieve. There are many outlets for your calves, whether this outlet is through market, dealers, direct to farms or buying groups, if the partnership works well try and value this rather than swapping and changing for an extra £10/head. These buyers will generally help you if on farm circumstances were to change e.g. shut down with TB. These purchasers will usually have a demand for strong calves, however as we know they will not pay premium prices for poorer quality calves. It is important to continue the demand to produce consistent high-quality calves that will go on and perform throughout the relevant system.

Millie Hendy

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Gloucestershire, Avon & Midlands

m: 07717 495746 e: millie.hendy@wynnstay.co.uk

@hendycalf1

Image supplied by Vicky Allen wynnstay.co.uk

OsmoFit The next generation oral rehydration solution for calves. Based on a patent pending formula which provides precisely balanced nutrient supply.

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES ARE KEY IN SUPPORTING RECOVERY FROM CALF DIARRHOEA Diarrhoea in the young calf is a commonly occurring challenge on many farms. Recent research by MSD Animal Health, completed as part of the their Youngstock Survey in 2020, indicated that 90% of dairy farms had experienced scour in calves in the previous 12 months, and that over 65% had experienced mortality due to scour. Diarrhoea is reported as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in early life, which can result in significant economic losses and potential welfare challenges. It is important to note that it is often not the diarrhoea itself but the consequence of dehydration and associated metabolic acidosis which can lead to calf mortality. For this reason, successful recovery from diarrhoea relies on the proactive implementation of proven nutritional strategies that effectively target these consequences. Having a clear protocol, alongside a proven product, should be considered a key part of an on-farm calf rearing programme.

A main goal of diarrhoea treatment should involve the application of oral rehydration solutions (ORS), also termed oral electrolyte solution (OES). ORS were originally developed in the 1960s for rehydration of human patients suffering with cholera infections. Although much research has been completed on oral rehydration therapy considerable variability exists in the composition, and therefore effectiveness, of commercially available ORS for calves. ORS should contain sodium and glucose to facilitate water absorption and replenish lost fluid. Additionally, ORS should have an adequate mineral composition in sodium, potassium and chloride to correct mineral imbalances in blood and should contain alkalinising agents to increase blood pH. Diarrhoea is often associated with damage to the intestinal surface which can reduce the capacity of the calf to absorb nutrients present in their feeds.

NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES

A common practice to manage digestive disturbances is to withdraw milk until diarrhoea has stopped. However, several research studies show that withholding milk can increase weight loss and dehydration, and prolong the calf’s recovery from diarrhoea. New research shows that offering ORS alongside usual milk allowance maximises recovery from diarrhoea. It is important to remember that a calf’s energy intakes primarily relies on whole milk or calf milk replacer, so a better nutritional choice is to reduce meal size and increase feeding frequency if required.

A calf with diarrhoea can easily lose > 5kg of faeces (mostly water) within 24 hours, compared to 100g for a healthy calf. It is therefore important to provide at least an equivalent, or higher, volume of water through milk feedings. Regardless of the cause, calves suffering from diarrhoea undergo extensive electrolyte and water losses. Calves are at a higher risk of dehydration, compared to adult cattle, due to a number of factors. These include body size to surface area ratio as well as differences in metabolic rate and body composition. The key factor is that the majority of the calf’s fluid is stored outside cells in extracellular fluid pools, as opposed to the adult cow where the majority of fluid is within the cells in intracellular fluid pools. Extracellular fluid is lost quickly and easily when a calf is affected by diarrhoea.

In addition to this, it is best to proactively provide ORS early when calves start exhibiting signs of dehydration and have a depressed appetite. A practical approach is then to feed ORS in between milk meals through a teat bucket or a bottle. See Table 1 for an example feeding scheme.

wynnstay.co.uk

Feeding Scheme

Meal Size

06:00

Milk or milk replacer

2.5 - 3.0L

11:00

ORS in water

2.0L

16:00

Milk or milk replacer

2.5 - 3.0L

21:00

ORS in water

2.0L

Table 1: Example of feeding scheme for calves with diarrhoea

Previously it was common practice for ORS to be fed in whole milk or milk replacer as it reduces the labour associated with the treatment of calves. However, this practice needs to be revaluated. Most ORS products contain high concentrations of sugar and salts. Whole milk, and especially milk replacers, already contain high concentrations of lactose and sodium. When mixing ORS into milk, the osmolality of the solution can rise above 600 mOsm/kg, with sodium concentrations above 100 mmol/L.

Osmolality measures the concentration of particles in a solution and is calculated by adding the concentrations of sugars and minerals. As a reference, normal osmolality for blood and whole milk is close to 300 mOsm/kg. Above this level a solution is called hypertonic. Feeding very hypertonic solutions to calves may result in increased diarrhoea severity as water will be pulled into the gut. Additionally, very concentrated milk meals slow down abomasal emptying rates, which may increase incidence of gastrointestinal disorders such as abomasal bloat. Therefore, best practice is to feed ORS separately to ensure it can effectively rehydrate the calf. It is also essential that clean fresh water is always available. LifeStart Science is providing guidance on best nutritional practice for feeding and management of calves with diarrhoea and dehydration. This has shown that due to formulation differences, all ORS are not equally effective at rehydration. It is important to use a scientifically proven product that has been carefully formulated with a low osmolality to stabilise water and electrolyte balance and therefore effectively rehydrate calves. OsmoFit is the next generation of oral rehydration solutions for calves which is the result of extensive in calf research. Based on a patent pending formula OsmoFit provides a precisely balanced nutrient supply to support effective rehydration in calves

Georgina Thomas

Ruminant Technical Manager Trouw Nutrition

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES

Time

WEANING: THE WHEN AND THE HOW We expect our calves to be able to cope and adapt to shifts in their nutrition throughout the pre-weaning phase, the first being from colostrum to whole milk/milk replacer and the last being from liquid to solid feed. Weaning is without doubt one of the biggest transformations the Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) will undergo and therefore understanding when and how we can best manage this juncture to avoid growth checks and impaired GIT health is important to the productivity of our calves. We have previously based weaning on the following parameters – starter feed consumption and weighing twice their birth weight but what do these two measurements represent and with higher planes of nutrition coming into play are they enough to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining elevated growth rates. The success of a weaning transition is governed by rumen development. If the rumen is not sophisticated enough to carry out its primary functions by total milk removal our calves will suffer a growth check and partially digested feed may be entering the lower gut potentially leading to hindgut acidosis or a dark scour.

WEANING: THE WHEN AND THE HOW

The establishment of digestive activity in the rumen requires water, feed and microbial activity. Microbes begin populating the rumen at birth from within calving fluids, colostrum and the skin and saliva of the cow. These initial microbes create an anaerobic environment for further microbes to colonise. Offering starter feed from week one encourages the production of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs). VFA production in the rumen increases from day 15 – this is when we expect starter feed intake to begin, albeit small quantities. 75 – 90% of the butyrate produced in the rumen is metabolised by the rumen wall for the stimulation of Papillae development. The larger the Villi the greater the area for VFA absorption post weaning. Offering straw as roughage builds the muscularity and capacity of the rumen, the rumen will eventually increase from 30 – 70% of the entire GIT.

The loss in growth and internal development as a result of weaning at six weeks is unlikely to ever be recovered. Delaying the age of weaning to 10 or 12 weeks lessens the reduction in daily liveweight gain and leads to a more gradual increase in the rumen’s fermentation activity. The step down of milk should be done gradually over more than seven days in order to give the calf’s GIT time to adapt to a solely solid diet. Calves fed elevated levels of milk will require a longer weaning period as their starter intakes preweaning are likely to be less. An initial drop in milk of 25% will kick off their starter intakes. Manually fed calves should still be fed twice daily throughout the onset of weaning until starter intakes have increased. Removing a feed completely is more stressful than having two slightly smaller feeds. In order to avoid a reduction in ADG a calf should be consuming twice the amount of starter as dry matter coming from the milk portion of their diet at the peak of their feed curve. The tables below relate to the amount of starter the calf should be consuming for three consecutive days before milk can be removed completely at the end of the milk step down phase.

Drinking water should be offered from birth, both the microbial and mechanical activity in the rumen require a liquid environment. The water portion of the milk is not sufficient, as this bypasses the rumen to go directly into the Abomasum. When discussing early weaning we should be thinking about eight weeks, not six. In the following study calves were fed the same amount of MR for either five or seven weeks then weaned using the same step-down method over one week to be weaned at either six or eight. This table highlights the differences seen in Average Daily Gains (ADG).

6 weeks wean group

8 weeks wean group

ADG during weaning week (kg)

0.34

0.79

ADG in week after weaning (kg)

0.35

1.05

Average weight at 10 weeks (kg)

99.9

wynnstay.co.uk

Milk Replacer (g)

Starter Feed intake to wean (g)

900

1,800

1,050

2,100

1,200

2,400

Whole Milk (L)

Starter Feed intake to wean (g)

1,500

1,750

2,000

Image supplied by Chris Waters

TOP TIPS TO ENCOURAGE STARTER INTAKES

Paired or group housing increases starter intake as the calves copy one another

Position the starter feed trough as close to the milk feeding area as is practical, creating a ‘go to’ feed area

Chose a palatable starter, ingredients such as hi-pro soya, sugar beet, distillers, cereals and molasses are all things to be looking for on labels

Make it accessible; ideally the feed should be up off the ground but at an easily accessible height

Laura Monk

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Cornwall & Devon

m: 07767 275662 e: laura.monk@wynnstay.co.uk

@monkcalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

WEANING: THE WHEN AND THE HOW

Keep it fresh; calves will eat very little for the first few weeks especially when on an ad-lib system. Keep the feed topped up but not so much that some of the feed remains in the trough untouched for days/weeks

AGE AT FIRST CALVING Over a decade ago, research at the Royal Veterinary College, London found that calving heifers at 23 to 25 months of age was optimum in terms of their subsequent fertility, milk yield and survivability through to third calving1. The recommendation to calve heifers close to 24 months of age is not new. But the message is just as valuable today – in fact, new data from recent studies has further reaffirmed this important practical advice. More heifers are now calving closer to 24 months but the average age at first calving (AFC) on UK dairy farms is still too high at 27 months. Not only will this reduce the lifetime performance of these youngstock, but it will also increase rearing costs. The average cost of rearing a heifer increases significantly with the time taken to calve for the first time – reducing AFC to 24 months will decrease the cost of rearing by 15.7% compared to calving at 26 months2. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) recently completed a study on the optimum AFC, based on 160,000 dairy heifers. Calving at 22 to 26 months of age was associated with increased survivability and increased lifetime milk yield. Of those heifers calving at 22 to 26 months, 30% survived to parity six, compared to only 11% of those that calved for the first time at 27 to 32 months of age. Data from 437 dairy herds in the UK based on 18,406 dairy heifers found that the likelihood of calving for a second time was associated with AFC3. Heifers that calved between 23 and 24 months were most likely to calve for a second time and those calving at >30 months were least likely to calve again. Rearing healthy heifers that are fertile and remain in the herd for at least a second calving is fundamental for farm profitability. A heifer failing to calve for a second time leaves the farm before it has repaid the cost of rearing and started to make a profit. The mean number of lactations it takes to repay investment in the rearing period is 1.5 lactations2. We have the data, but how can we ensure that heifers are reared to enable them to calve close to 24 months of age with adequate body size?

Step 1:

What’s your average mature cow body weight? Take a selection of at least 20 (the more the better) third lactation animals of 100-120 days in milk and weigh or weigh band them to get an idea of the average mature body weight (BW) in your herd.

AGE AT FIRST CALVING

Step 2:

It’s worth repeating these measurements year-onyear because if breeding strategy changes, it could also impact on mature weight.

Establish your targets based on the mature body weight of your herd Ideally, heifers should be hitting the following milestones: • 55-60% of mature BW at first breeding at 13 to 14 months of age • 85-90% of mature BW at first calving at 24 months of age Heifers must be in calf at 15 months if they are to calve at 24 months, so they need to be served for the first time at 13 to 14 months of age as it takes on average 1.4 inseminations to get pregnant. Heifers need adequate body size at first calving. This is important to reduce the risk of calving difficulties (dystocia), but body size can impact on their subsequent fertility. Heifers are still growing at first calving – and those that are small will need to continue to grow to a greater extent, putting nutrients into growth at the expense of their fertility.

wynnstay.co.uk

Step 3:

What’s the average birth weight of heifer calves? Weigh or weigh band a selection of calves at birth to establish the average birth weight of heifers on your farm.

Step 4:

Calculate your herd’s body weight targets throughout the rearing period

Calculate the weight gain required to hit the target BW at first breeding. (see calculations in table)

TABLE:

Weight gain targets required to calve at 24 months for different breeds

Step 5:

Design a suitable feeding strategy

Target

Holstein Example

Jersey Example

Age at 1st calving

24 months

2.5 - 3.0L

Age at 1st breeding (age at 1st calving minus 11 months)

13 to 14 months (in calf by 15 months)

Mature BW of cows (measure at lactation 3+)

660kg

450kg

BW at 1st breeding (multiply mature weight by 55%)

660 x 0.55 = 363kg

450 x 0.55 = 248kg

Weight gain required (BW at 1st breeding minus birth weight)

363 – 40 = 323kg

248 – 30 = 218kg

Average daily gain required up to 1st breeding (weight gain required divided by age at 1st breeding)

323kg/13 months = 0.8kg/d

218kg/13 months = 0.55kg/d

Step 6:

Design a suitable measuring and monitoring strategy

Heifers need to be weighed at regular intervals to ensure they are on target. As a minimum, weigh animals at birth, weaning, 6-months and at first breeding. Regular weighing throughout the rearing period will identify if heifers are on target and if not, corrective measures can be made before the time of first breeding. Calving heifers for the first time close to 24 months of age minimises the length of the non-productive stage of life, but also results in better fertility, more milk and improved survival. With the mean AFC in the UK currently running close to 27 months – there is currently a large opportunity for improvement and thus to reap the benefits in terms of lifetime performance. Dr Jessica Cooke

Research Scientist Volac International

References 1Cooke et al., 2013 OJAS 3:1-12 2Boulton et al., 2017 Animal 11:1372-80 3Sherwin et al., 2016 Animal 10:1877-82

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

AGE AT FIRST CALVING

Critique your milk feeding and general nutrition strategy to ensure these targets will be met. The primary source of nutrition for a calf during the first 3 to 4 weeks of life is milk, since starter intake will be minimal. Feeding more milk will help maximize the early growth potential of these young animals. As a guide, following good colostrum management, feed a minimum of 6 L/d (mixed at 125g/L or 150g/L) from day 7 reaching the peak milk allowance by 2 weeks of age. Calves offered high levels of milk must be weaned over a 3-week period to ensure food starter intake for rumen development. Housing calves in pairs of groups can also encourage starter intake. Calves should double their birth weight by weaning – if they do not hit this target, critique your rearing system in terms of environment, health and nutrition (Volac Growth Triangle).

CALF JACKETS – ARE WE USING THEM CORRECTLY? Pretty much all farmers have heard of calf jackets, they have gained popularity in recent years as a way to control cold stress but do we know how to use them correctly? Let’s take humans for example, when the temperature drops, we put more layers on, right? And vice versa when the temperature rises; should we consider this for our calves too? First, let’s understand why we use the calf jackets. Thermoneutral zone and lower critical temperature What is the purpose of a calf jacket? Simply put, it’s to keep the calf warm in colder temperatures. For the first few weeks of life the calf struggles to regulate its own body temperature. There is a temperature range where the amount of body heat produced by a calf is balanced by the calf’s body heat losses, this is known as the thermoneutral zone (TNZ). The lower limit for the TNZ is known as lower critical temperature (LCT). For a 40kg new-born healthy calf at four weeks of age the LCT can range from 5ºc to 15ºc (Robertson, 2021). This will vary calf to calf depending on a number of things body weight, genetics, health, nutrition, environment etc, keeping in mind that a sick calf is likely to have a much lower LCT.

Calf jacket protocols If you are thinking of using calf jackets then I would suggest having protocols in place for your calf rearers/staff. Requirements when choosing a calf jacket: • Breathable • Well fitted • Water repellent • Washable • Hardwearing

CALF JACKETS – ARE WE USING THEM CORRECTLY?

Once the LCT has been reached the calf will then use energy to keep itself warm which can have a negative effect on performance and health. Similarly at temperatures higher than the TNZ the calf becomes heat stressed and will use energy to cool itself down. Lower critical temperature of calves Table 1. Lower critical temperature of calves

0.2 m/s (draught free)

2.0 m/s (meters per second)

New-born calf

12ºC

20ºC

5 week old calf

2ºC

11ºC

6 month old calf

-6ºC

5ºC

(webster 1994)

Interestingly the above table indicates that the calf’s lower critical temperature is increased considerably when exposed to air movement speeds above 0.2 meters per second, meaning the calf will begin to feel colder at higher temperatures if wind speeds increase above 0.2m/s. As the calf gets older, they are able to withstand colder temperatures, therefore, the calf’s lower critical temperature is less. When the calf reaches five weeks of age it is not necessary for the use of a calf jacket.

Hygiene If you’re not going to bother cleaning the jackets properly then I strongly recommend you have a look at another way of keeping your calves warm, that might be blunt but it’s true!

wynnstay.co.uk

Hose/power wash the jackets

Machine wash at 60ºc with detergent

Disinfect when necessary or if cryptosporidium is a problem

Leave to dry completely on a line or hang in an aired room before putting on the calf (make sure the calf is dry before putting the jacket on)

Repeat process when you take the jacket off the calf

Key take home messages • Each individual calf will have a different thermal neutral zone depending on breed, genetics, nutrition, health • Damp straw is very cold • Choose your calf jacket wisely • Have protocols in place for your calf rearer/staff • Make sure to clean and disinfect the jackets after each use • Putting a min/max thermometer in the calf shed will go a long way when you are deciding when to put the calf jackets on/off • Keep an eye on the weather forecast!

AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL WYNNSTAY STORE OR WYNNSTAY REPRESENTATIVE

Jackets on/off Calves can wear the jackets from birth to four weeks of age; when to remove the jackets is the tricky bit and depends on each individual calf, taking into account the current condition and performance of the calf and most importantly the current weather conditions. Jamie Robertson recommends putting a max/min thermometer in the calf shed, and then decide what temperature you will start using the calf jackets (10ºc is most commonly used) agree a protocol with your calf rearer/ staff that once the calf shed has reached 10ºc for three consecutive nights, you then put the calf jackets on. Reset the thermometer every morning during the colder months.

Elinor Thomas

When removing the calf jackets keep an eye on the weather forecast and make sure you’re checking the night time temperatures too. There’s no point taking them off if it’s looking like the weather is going to drop again or if the nights are still chilly. Consider the overall health of the calves and remove the jacket in the morning not the afternoon.

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Mid & South Wales

m: 07500 979398 e: elinor.thomas@wynnstay.co.uk

@thomascalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

CALF JACKETS – ARE WE USING THEM CORRECTLY?

5 Steps of washing the jackets

THE MANAGEMENT OF CALVES The management of calves is one of the industry’s main sources of criticism; both the treatment of dairy bull calves and the separation of cows and calves have been attacked by dairy sceptics. My 2021 Nuffield project “Can the UK improve the ethics of its dairy calf management whilst retaining profitability?” will try to find workable solutions to these issues. Since I was offered the scholarship in 2020, Red Tractor have announced that all assured farms must prove that they are not euthanising healthy calves by the end of 2021. This is earlier than the GB Dairy Calf Strategy’s aim of eradicating calf euthanasia by 2023.

My 2021 Nuffield project “Can the UK improve the ethics of its dairy calf management whilst retaining profitability?” will try to find workable solutions to these issues.

In order to support this change farmers will need access to markets for dairy bull calves, as well as the confidence to use sexed semen when appropriate, and to choose suitable beef bulls. This spring I surveyed 400 UK dairy farmers to ask what their challenges were in selling dairy bull calves, and using sexed semen. That information will help shape my Nuffield project by ensuring that the questions I ask and the visits I pursue are relevant and useful to the industry.

THE MANAGEMENT OF CALVES

in terms of calf welfare and management. I am also planning to visit the Netherlands - where 97% of beef comes from the dairy herd - and Scandinavia, where retailers are marketing Jersey beef based on its taste. If time and contacts allow, I also hope to visit some of the large intensive farms in Jordan to find out how they manage dairy bull calves, and whether they have any novel markets or interesting approaches to sexed semen use. Alongside dairy beef and bull beef opportunities, I also hope to speak to farmers who have adopted calf at foot systems, and find out whether these enterprises can be financially viable without the added value of on-site processing e.g. can a dairy farmer, selling milk on a normal contract, run a profitable business where calves are suckled on their mothers until weaning? As part of this I will also look at the capital investment needed to manage cows and calves together, and considerations around calf health. Image supplied by Amelia Hull

I plan to visit Australia to learn more about integrating dairy beef into the red meat sector, and New Zealand to speak to researchers about the environmental benefits of dairy bred beef and the opportunities for marketing cross bred calves. In America I hope to learn about advances in sexed semen technology, and gain a perspective in how the UK sits globally

Learning from other industries is a great opportunity to approach an issue from a different angle, and so my project will also look at whether the dairy industry can learn anything from the racing industry in terms of managing the ethical considerations of animals that are not part of the core industry: retired racehorses and dairy bull calves. In the UK organisations such as Retraining of Racehorses have done an admirable job of marketing ex-racehorses, and while they may not be sold at a price which returns their initial

wynnstay.co.uk

investment, this work is a huge part of retaining racing’s social licence. Globally I hope to learn from specialist organisations, individual trainers, and retraining centres about the importance of having a market for these animals. It will also be interesting to see if there is any correlation between public pressure on the racing industry and public pressure on the dairy industry in different countries. Nuffield projects require a minimum of eight weeks of travel in the UK and internationally, typically over a period of 15 months. Due to COVID-19 I have not started travelling, although I have used Zoom to speak to farmers and industry professionals in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and Canada. I hope to travel within Europe over the summer, and further afield by the autumn. Travel will also need to fit in with farming, as my boyfriend and I contract farm 300 spring calving cows, who calve in a 12- week block from the end of February. My Nuffield report should be published and presented in November 2022, although COVID-19 may change this. It will be available to read online and, along the way, I will be writing regular updates on my website www.annabowenmedia. com. Through the project and afterwards I will be able to speak to farmer groups about my travels, project outputs, and the experience of applying for and completing a Nuffield Scholarship.

If farmers would like to speak to me about their own experiences of rearing dairy bull calves/dairy beef, raising calves at foot, or suggest people to visit, they can contact me on annabowen2008@googlemail.com

Anna Bowen

Nuffield Scholar

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

THE MANAGEMENT OF CALVES

Anna Bowen is a dairy farmer, dairy specialist, and freelance writer, living in South Ceredigion. Her Nuffield scholarship is kindly sponsored by the Elizabeth Creake Charitable Trust and a Young Nuffield Award.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR PREGNANT HEIFERS Energy demand for any dairy animal depends on their specific requirement for; maintenance, reproduction, milk production and body reserves. Whilst our mature cows are pregnant their energy demand is focussed on maintenance and foetal growth. As a heifer progresses through pregnancy we must consider she is still undergoing her own continued development including her own maintenance, growth, mammary tissue growth/development, and then in the last trimester of pregnancy, the foetus goes through a huge growth phase and, therefore, energy demand increases significantly and quickly (from day 191). Some farms look to balance the diet for a heifer at 141 days (to take an average of her requirement throughout) but this is not sufficient for the third trimester as the demand for energy and protein is far greater.

Heifers should be entering the milking parlour at 82% - 90% mature body weight post calving to optimise first lactation yield (Van Amburgh et al., 1998). We can work on a relatively accurate estimation that heifers will produce the same percentage of milk of a mature cow as to what she is as a percentage of her mature weight i.e if she only enters the milking herd at 70% of mature weight, we can only expect 70% of mature cow’s milk yield from her as she is still needing a proportion of energy intake for own growth. As with all animals, clean, fresh and plentiful water access should be available at all times and this will encourage dry matter intakes.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR PREGNANT HEIFERS

On some farm set-ups it can be difficult to run two separate groups and feed two separate diets. Often it is seen as a balancing act and diets are formulated to be in the middle of mature cow and heifer requirements. The problem with this is that the diet can be of higher energy than what dry cows need and lower energy than what heifers require and, due to physical capacity, the dry cows are able to consume more. So, heifers are fed restricted protein and energy. If we don’t account for this higher energy demand for the heifers and their need for a higher energy dense diet, then we risk them mobilising fat from their own reserves and have high levels of NEFA’s prior to calving. Reduced dry matter intake pre-calving can lead to the same post-calving and predispose the animal to ketosis and fatty liver syndrome. Feeding highly digestibly fibre forages to help meet demand. It is important to consider heifers are producing colostrum in the last six weeks of pregnancy and, if they are deficient in energy and protein, we cannot expect them to produce high quality colostrum.

The expected calf birth weight and day of gestation can be used to calculate a heifer’s requirement for metabolisable energy and protein. The risk of undersupplying energy is that the dam will prioritise the energy she has got available to the development of her calf resulting in her growth slowing or stopping altogether. This may result in a difficult calving as she has not grown to the expected size. It is important to know intakes at stages through pregnancy; pre-calving we can assume consumption to be 1.75% of body weight but this depends on palatability of the ration put in front of them. Because heifers begin to eat lesser quantities they need the diet to be more energy dense.

Sammy Howorth

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Lancashire & Cumbria

m: 07810 444948 e: sammy.howorth@wynnstay.co.uk @howorthcalf1

wynnstay.co.uk

SUPERNOVA TRIUMPH Farm overview Richard Morris and Joe Doyle farm in partnership over two farms, Bowett Farm and Southernpitts Farm, both located in Pembrokeshire. Richard runs an autumn calving herd, comprising of 500 cows and averaging 7,000L. Joe runs a 400, spring calving herd averaging 6,500L. Both farms are rearing their own heifer replacements and attention to detail in the youngstock sector is paramount to both units. Richard rears 150 replacements and says ‘We are strict on our culling protocol and rearing enough heifers is essential for this. We also keep 200 beef calves which we rear until the following spring. We want to ensure every calf has a value and this works the best for us’ Supernova success Joe was the lucky winner of last year’s Focus on Calves competition, which bagged him a pallet of the Wynngold™ Supernova Calf Milk Replacer. Wynngold™ Supernova, is manufactured exclusively for Wynnstay by Volac in Wales and consists of 100% dairy protein with increased energy levels. Both Joe and Richard continued to use Supernova through their calving seasons. The two units run a once-a-day system, as it is extremely labour saving and works wells for their busy schedules. We were all keen to see how Supernova compared to their previous skim powder as it’s often a perception that a skim powder can outperform a whey-based powder on a once-a-day system. When discussing the system and protocols in place we agreed a new feed plan, slightly increasing the grams per litre and the results have shown. ‘The calves will usually tell you if they like it, and they seem to have been happy on it, and I am too.’ To encourage dry feed intake the calves are offered ad-lib concentrate, chopped straw and fresh water. Richard says ‘The feed conversion efficiency is the highest in young calves, so we want to ensure calves are growing at maximum potential early on.’ Calves are weaned between 8-10 weeks and turned out to grass after the first cut. “It is essential for our calves to have at least doubled their birth weight at weaning. Our main objective is to have the heifers at our bulling weight of 300-350kg by 12- 14 months” ensuring that heifers calve in a tight bunch at 22-24 months is imperative to any block calving herd; to achieve this regularly monitoring weights is important. The farms combined are currently arranging 0.8kg per day, which both Richard and Joe are extremely pleased with. This is also down to excellent animal husbandry and good communication between members of staff.

Ask your Wynnstay Calf & Youngstock Specialist about feed plans to maximise your calves’ potential.

Elinor Thomas

Calf & Youngstock Specialist Mid & South Wales

m: 07500 979398 e: elinor.thomas@wynnstay.co.uk

@thomascalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

SUPERNOVA TRIUMPH

Both units are very happy with the change to Supernova this season. Next year we hope to continue monitoring performance and striving towards higher DLWG’s and closely monitoring calf health, although this is not something we struggle with massively, we feel it will better our systems even further.

THE GB CALF STRATEGY – RED TRACTOR’S ROLE

The British dairy industry prides itself on being a pioneer in dairy cattle welfare; it is a top priority for the sector. However, the fate of dairy bull calves is not a secret; it is a key focus area for the industry. While the rearing of bull calves for the beef market is high, and several industry initiatives continue to champion improvements in calf health, welfare and survival, there is still room for improvement. The industry has committed to make further progress in this area with the development of the GB Calf Strategy. The core objective of the strategy is to find practical solutions to reduce the number of calves which are routinely euthanised on farm. You can read more about the GB Calf Strategy on the AHDB website.

• The breeding and management policy is being implemented on farm • Calculations are undertaken and reflect what occurs on site. • Records are available (invoices or something similar), that demonstrate that semen purchases reflect the breeding plan and that markets have been identified, to sell calves into. • All calves are treated the same, regardless of breed or sex.

Red Tractor Standards Red Tractor farmers uphold high animal welfare standards on their farms and while the Dairy scheme standards already cover the care of youngstock on the farm regardless of gender, last summer as part of the GB Dairy Calf Strategy, we consulted on changes to the standards to help the industry deliver on its commitment to rear all calves with care and to eliminate the euthanasia of calves by 2023.

It is important to note that some milk purchasers have developed their own policies around eliminating the routine euthanasia of calves on farm and Red Tractor farmers should look to communicate with their milk buyers to ensure full compliance.

The industry has committed to make further progress in this area with the development of the GB Calf Strategy.

The complex nature of the supply chain, involving a vast number of stakeholders within both the dairy and beef sectors, underpins the need for a coordinated strategy that prioritises collaboration, communication, and industrywide buy-in, to achieve the agreed commitment. It is vital that these priorities satisfy customer expectations, prioritise animal welfare and ensure producers remain profitable at every stage of the supply chain. Collaboration will be key to delivering the priorities of the GB Calf Strategy, success will require a joined-up approach from everyone in the supply chain.

From November 2021 Red Tractor will require members to comply with a standard that fits within the Strategy’s aim of encouraging responsible breeding strategies, producing calves that are economically attractive to rearers and buyers. The new standard, that members will be assessed against from November 2021, requires members to develop and implement a written breeding and management plan which details the farms plans around semen usage and replacement policies along with identifying markets for calves and decisions around housing and rearing provisions. The relevant Red Tractor standards, which are available on the Red Tractor Assurance website, provide clear audit points that members will need to demonstrate compliance with. Crucially members will require evidence that:

For more information on the GB Calf Strategy please visit the AHDB website

wynnstay.co.uk

NO SUCH THING AS A SILVER BULLET BALANCING FOR AMINO ACIDS IN CALF MILK REPLACER Amino acids are certainly the buzz word in ruminant nutrition, and rightly so. Nevertheless, will AA supplementation change the world of calf milk replacers too? There are two overarching themes in research and ongoing farm trials: 1. We are scratching the surface. 2. A silver bullet does not exist. We are only scratching the surface In principle, ruminants have a requirement for amino acids rather than crude protein. Can calf milk replacer be supplemented with amino acids to improve growth rates, reduce crude protein levels, and/or reduce total feed costs? The first complication in milk replacer is finding the amino acid requirement of young calves. Milk phase calves are neither monogastric, nor fully functioning ruminants. A model does not currently exist which will accurately predict the AA requirement of pre-weaned calves.

Dairy proteins (whey and skim) are biologically high in essential amino acids. The ability of any milk replacer to provide adequate amounts and profile of essential amino acids for growth depends on the individual protein amino acids profile, the milk replacer processing, and the protein digestibility. It is worth bearing in mind high temperatures during drying processing may negatively affect quality. As this topic is further researched and explored, there is possibly an opportunity to lower CP levels of high-quality powders and supplement AA. However, there is a danger of producing cheaper powders with poorly digestible proteins that are supplemented with AA. Consideration still needs to be given to digestibility, abomasal emptying and rumen development when choosing raw materials. The silver bullet does not exist Many practises will change the face of calf rearing on your farm. Good colostrum management. A vaccination programme for in calf cows and calves. A comprehensive hygiene protocol amongst others.

A balanced calf milk replacer, a nutritionally sound starter feed or an electrolyte correcting for acidosis have all been discussed within this focus on calves. These changes will go a long way to fine tuning and improving calf rearing. However, these, and many other changes will do little without the basics being correct. At the minute, research around amino acids in milk replacer is promising, so watch this space. Nonetheless, if someone calls to your farm claiming methionine, lysine or threonine will change your life and does not take a whole system approach…walk away. A well balanced, high dairy protein content milk replacer should be the first nutritional parameter. Are AA supplemented, high veg protein, cheap milk replacers in fact, a step in the wrong direction?

Eimear Diamond

Calf & Youngstock Manager

What these all have in common is that they are fundamental system practises, not a singular product change.

m: 07881 379008 e: eimear.diamond@wynnstay.co.uk @diamondcalf1

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

NO SUCH THING AS A SILVER BULLET

Several studies have tried to establish AA requirements based on growth rates. Drackley et al., 2006 state the base to formulate CMR is whole milk- being ideal for calves, adequate AA profile and a high biological value. Hill et al., 2008 states for daily feeding of 17g of lysine and 5.4g of methionine for calves under the age of five weeks, has been proven to be adequate to supply AA requirements and assure adequate growth rates.

CALF REARING ESSENTIALS Förster Technik Vario Feeder

Store and Thaw Machine

H&L Calf Expert

68331

Colostrum can be tested for quality and frozen

Feeds up to 120 calves

CONTACT A SPECIALIST FOR A PRICE

Speedy Feeder Calf Feeder 2.5L 14170

£1,050

CONTACT A SPECIALIST FOR A PRICE

Milk Bar 1 Teat Feeder 3L

30968

Wydale 5 Teat Calf Feeder

36673

ONLY

£195

£26.50

ONLY

£21

.50

• The perfect feeder for calves in single pens

• Provides three speeds of milk flow depending on the calf’s ability

• Hooks fit 25mm rails

• Capacity to hold 4L which is the standard amount of colostrum required by a calf

• Convenient hand grip

• Wide neck ensures simple filling and cleaning

Nettex Calf Colostrum Gold 450g 77317

ONLY

• Holds 3L

JFC Milk Kart Mixer 63098

The troughs have compartments, each holding 2L to the ridge along the back or 3L to the top of the weirs

Dycoxan

79823, 79822, 79821

Prevents coccidiosis symptoms, further gut damage and stops shedding Available in 1L, 2.5L and 5L

ONLY £1,995

CALF REARING ESSENTIALS

• 170L capacity polyethylene drum placed into a galvanised steel frame

EID Cattle Tags and Applicators

Stallion Calfateria 5 Teat Feeder 79837

FULL RANGE AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL WYNNSTAY STORE

ONLY

£79

• Normal official tags for new born • EID tags • Official DNA tissue sampling tags • Metal/ brass tags All prices exclude VAT and are valid until 31st August 2021 wynnstay.co.uk

• 30L capacity • Available in pink and blue

ENTER TO WIN Test your calf knowledge to be in with a chance of winning a pallet of Elixir+. Simply answer the three questions below correctly to be entered into the draw to win.

WIN

a pallet of Elixir+

Full terms and conditions apply, please see below for details

You can enter by either completing the information below and posting your completed entry to Wynnstay Marketing Team, Wynnstay (Agricultural Supplies) Ltd, Eagle House, Llansantffraid, Powys, SY22 6AQ or enter online at wynnstay.co.uk/competitions

*First Name:......................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................ *Last Name:......................................................................................................................................................................... *Farm Name:........................................................................................................................................................................ *Postcode:........................................................................................................................................................................... E-mail:................................................................................................ *Mobile Number:...................................................... Number of beef calves reared annually:

Number of dairy calves reared annually:

I would like to sign up to the Calf & Youngstock e-newsletter to receive future updates Please tick one box for each answer 1)

Why is colostrum so important?

What is the best treatment for calf scour?

Antibodies and energy

Take away the milk feed

Energy only

Additional electrolyte feed, water and continue milk feed

What % of mature bodyweight should heifers be at first breeding?

45-50%

55-60%

Helps the calf grow

Antibiotics

50-55%

Terms and Conditions: The closing date for entries is 6th August 2021. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries on 10th September 2021. The winner will be contacted directly, and details of the winner will be announced on the website (www.wynnstay.co.uk) after 10th September 2021. You must complete all required information and answer the questions correctly to be entered into the prize draw. Only one entry per person. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition. Should you win the prize draw it will need to be collected from your nearest Wynnstay Depot. The winner will be required to take part in promotional activity related to the prize draw. Employees of Wynnstay Group Plc or subsidiary companies are not permitted to enter the prize draw. We accept no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed or incomplete. We reserve the right to withdraw or change the competition at any time. There is no cash alternative to the prize. The prize cannot be transferred or exchanged. Judges decision is final. By entering the competition, you have accepted these terms and conditions.

FOCUS ON CALVES 2021

ENTER TO WIN

If undelivered please return to: Wynnstay Marketing Department, Eagle House, Llansantffraid, Powys, SY22 6AQ If you do not want to receive information of this nature please call01691 223404 or write to Wynnstay Marketing Department, Eagle House, Llansantffraid, Powys, SY22 6AQ

0808 168 7998

Sales Desk

01939 733102

Wynnstay Feeds Llansantffraid Office: 01691 828512 Carmarthen Office: 01267 231341 Rhosfawr Office: 01766 819066

Wynnstay Arable Seed: 01939 210777 Fertiliser: 01939 211266 Crop Protection: 01939 210555 GrainLink: 01939 210500

Visit wynnstay.co.uk to read and request our latest publications

GRASS & ROOTS

MAI

2021

202 1

www.wynnstay.co.uk

w.w y

nns

tay.c

o.uk 1

For technical advice, product information, find your nearest Wynnstay Depot, or request a quote visit:

wynnstay.co.uk

@WynnstayGroup Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the details supplied in this publication are correct as of 8th June 2021, Wynnstay cannot be held responsible for any inaccurate information. Information contained within this publication should be used as a guide only please seek specialist advice before purchasing. Photography and product images used within this publication have been used as a guide only.

Wynnstay (Agricultural Supplies) Ltd • Eagle House • Llansantffraid • Powys • SY22 6AQ Registration No. 5009019 • Part of Wynnstay Group Plc • Eagle House • Llansantffraid • Powys SY22 6AQ Registration No: 2704051 • Telephone: 01691 828512 • Fax: 01691 828690 • Email: info@wynnstay.co.uk wynnstay.co.uk • Registered in Wales and England • Vat Reg No. 168 7221 87

WN3145