Agriland Media is delighted to collaborate with Volac Milk Replacers Ireland Ltd to bring you the ‘Calf Rearing Series’.
Over the next few weeks, the experienced ‘Feed for Growth’ advisory team at Volac Milk Replacers in Ireland will highlight some of the critical success factors involved in rearing pre-weaned dairy calves efficiently and sustainably.
Indeed, recent research is helping dairy farmers in Ireland re-think calf milk feeding strategies for optimum health and performance during the first 70 days of life.
According to Una Hickey from Feed for Growth, modern calf milk replacer formulation is becoming more sophisticated and multi-functional – so much so that there should always be a quality product available that is right for your calves, rearing objectives and farm buildings situation.
“Remember though that the cornerstone of any successful calf rearing programme is ensuring newborn animals receive sufficient high-quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth.
“Aim to feed a newborn calf at least 10% of its birthweight as soon as you can (ideally within two hours of birth).
“Typically, and practically, this means feeding a minimum of 3L within the first six hours of life at the latest (split into two feeds if necessary),” Una said.
“Only feed the best: you should test your colostrum quality frequently, using a Brix refractometer or colostrometer.
“Provided your colostrum management and feeding protocol is sound – and your calves have access to fresh water, roughage and a palatable starter concentrate – we know that feeding a good heifer calf up to 900g (750g minimum) of a precision formulated, high quality calf milk replacer will allow you to meet optimum rearing targets.
“Indeed, these feeding levels are crucial if you want to calve heifers down with an adequate body size at 24 months,” she continued.
Una pointed out that opting for top notch milk replacer quality and feeding higher levels also leads to fewer calves failing to reach a second lactation.
Calf Rearing Series
Through an upcoming series of four articles – focusing on how much milk replacer to feed pre-weaned calves for optimum growth and efficiency; the importance of always opting for quality; tips for feeding calves in cold weather feeding; and the most effective weaning strategy – the team from Feed for Growth will highlight the key best practice guidelines you must follow for calf rearing success.
Led by national sales manager Una Hickey – and drawing on support from experienced regional team leaders Liam Gannon and J.P. Harkin – the three Feed for Growth local business managers David Whyte, Sharon O’Donoghue and Tomas O’Reilly remain focused on delivering highly practical calf rearing advice to dairy farmers across Ireland.
