FEEDING OF CALF

FEEDING OF CALF

DEPT OF ANIMAL NUTRITION

CoVSc & A.H., JABALPUR

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Calves are the future of dairy herd

It is said that “good animals are raised, not purchased”.

Raising calves is by far the most difficult operation in a dairy farming

enterprise

Mortality rate of calf is very high (15-35 %)

Successful calf growth & health- good management & nutrition of young

calf

For maintaining efficiency of production, 20 - 25% of cows should be

replaced with heifer-cows

Introduction

Cont.

Well grown, vigorous animals are usually those that have had

excellent care from birth

Undersized calves may be due to lack of knowledge of the

principles of scientific feeding and practices of calf rearing

Scientific rearing of calf is necessary

Higher the plane of nutrition, earlier is the onset of puberty &

quicker the return of capital

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Cont.

Feed cost : > 60% of total expenditure

Effective way of minimizing the high feed costs of calf rearing

through early weaning early rumen development

reduced milk feeding milk replacers

Whole milk would be the most natural feed for calves, but

due to its high cost, it is well replaced by calf milk replacer

(CMR)

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Practical feeding of calf

May be divided into fallowing category

feeding during last trimester of pregnancy

Pre-ruminant period- before rumen development

post ruminant period- after rumen development

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feeding during last trimester of pregnancy

Nourishment of calf should be taken care much before it is born

Extra nutrient should be given during last trimesterof gestation

Expectant dam should be provided with 15-20 kg green fodder

daily – to make colostrum rich in vit A

If green not offered, calf should be given 10000 IU vit A in its 1st

feed

Thereafter dosage may be 1000-2000 IU daily

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Pre-ruminant period- 0-3 month

Feeding during pre-ruminant stage can be divided

into fallowing steps

1. Colostrum feeding

2. Whole milk feeding

3. Skim milk

4. Calf starter

5. Milk replacer

6. Roughase – hay

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Importance of Colostrum feeding

Provide passive immunity

Laxative effect

Antitrypsin action

Excellent source of Vit A,D, & E

Excellent economic diet for both the neonates &

older calves

Contain antibacterial substances- lactoferrin,

lactoperoxidase & lysozyme

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Method of absorption of Ig from colostrum

Suckling oesophageal groove

Pinocytosis Intestine Abomasum

Starts to decline within 12 -23 hrs

Ceases on a average of 24 –36 hrs

METHODS OF FEEDING OF COLOSTRUM

NATURAL (Suckling)

ARTIFICIAL

Bottle feeding

Bucket feeding

Oesophageal tube feeding

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BIRTH WEIGHT OF CALVES (Ranjan, 1977)

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Breed Male (Kg) Female (Kg)

Hariana 24.70 22.60

HF 44.50 42.40

J 25.80 23.40

Murrah Buffaloes 36.90 31.90

H×HF 26.80 25.50

H×J 18.70 17.40

AV. DAILY GAIN IN BODY WEIGHT IN CALVES (Ranjan, 1977)

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Breed 0-3 months 3 months to 1 year

Hariana 300g 450-500g

HF 350g 600-650g

J 290g 500-550g

Murrah Buffaloes 320g 500-550g

H×HF 320g 500-550g

H×J 450-500g

NUTRIENT REQUIREMENT OF PRE-RUMINANT CATTLE & BUFFALOES (Ranjan, 1977)

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Age B. Wt. (Kg)

Daily Gain (g)

DCP (g)

TDN (Kg)

Ca (g)

P (g)

0-15 days 25 200 80 0.400 2.5 1.5

16-30 days 30 300 90 0.500 3.0 2.0

31-60 days 40 300 125 0.800 3.5 2.5

61-90 days 50 350 150 1.000 4.0 3.8

FEEDING SCHEDULE OF CALVES (0-3 months): WHOLE MILK (Mudgal, 2003)

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Age B. Wt. (Kg

Colostrum (Lit.) Milk ( Lit.)

0-5 Days Up to 30 1/10th.B. Wt.

6-90 Days 31-75 - 1/10th.B. Wt. Up to 60 Kg B. Wt.

Age B. Wt. (Kg

Colostrum (Lit.) Milk ( Lit.)

0-5 Days Up to 30 1/10th.B. Wt.

6-90 Days 31-75 - 1/10th.B. Wt. Up to 60 Kg B. Wt.

FEEDING SCHEDULE OF CALVES (0-3 months): RESTRICTED WHOLE MILK (Mudgal, 2003)

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Age Milk ( Lit.)

1st 3 Weeks 1/10th.B. Wt.

Next 2 Weeks 1/15th.B. Wt.

Gradually tapering up to 60 Days

1/20th.B. Wt.

FEEDING SCHEDULE OF COW CALVES (0-3 months): WHOLE MILK+ SKIM MILK+ CALF STARTER (Mudgal, 2003)

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Age (Days)

Calf starter(g)

Colostrum (Lit.)

Milk ( Lit.) Skim Milk ( Lit.)

0-5 - 1/10th.B. Wt. - -

6-30 - - 1/10th.B. Wt. -

31-60 125 - 1/15th.B. Wt. 1/25th.B. Wt.

61-90 250 - 1/25th.B. Wt. 1/15th.B. Wt.

FEEDING SCHEDULE OF BAFFALO CALVES (0-3 months): WHOLE MILK+ SKIM MILK+ CALF STARTER (Mudgal, 2003)

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Age (Days)

Calf Starter(g)

Colostrum (Lit.)

Milk ( Lit.)

Skim Milk ( Lit.)

0-5 - 2.0 - -

6-15 - - 2.0. -

16-30 - - 2.5 -

31-60 125 - 1/15th.B. Wt. 1/25th.B. Wt.

61-90 250 - 1/25th.B. Wt. 1/15th.B. Wt.

Practical feeding

Age Whole milk Calf starter Hay

1-3 day Colostrum @ 1/10th B.W. in 3 feed

- -

4-7 day Milk @1/10th B.W. in 3 feed - -

8-14 day Milk @1/10th B.W. - -

15-21 day Milk @1/10th B.W. A little A little

22-35 day Milk @1/15th B.W. 100 g Ad lib

Up to 2 months

Milk @1/20th B.W. 250 g Ad lib

2-3 months Milk is gradually reduced & tapered

500 g Ad lib

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Feeding schedule for calves up to 3 month of age

Age Whole milk (g) Skim milk (g) Calf starter (g) Hay (g)

1-3 day 2550 (colostrum) - - -

4-7th day 2550 - - -

2nd week 3000 - 50 200

3rd week 3250 - 100 350

4th week 3000 200 400

5th week 1500 1000 350 500

6th week - 2500 550 550

7th week - 2000 600 600

8th week - 1750 700 650

9th week - 1250 800 750

10th week - - 900 850

11th week - - 1000 1000

12th week - - 1300 1200

13th week - - 1500 1500

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Milk replacer

High cost of milk

Competition with the humans for food

Convenience and economics – drive the increase in use of milk replacers

Increased use of milk replacers – continue as long as the price differential between milk and milk replacers remains

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Need for milk replacer feeding:

Made from byproducts of the dairy industry.

Whey proteins form the major protein sources in milk

replacers, containing only milk protein.

Whey is usually much cheaper than other milk proteins

such as casein and skim milk.

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The use of high quality, lower cost ingredients makes milk

replacer a more economic choice than whole milk.

Diseases can be transmitted from cow to calf through

unpastuerized milk.

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Goals of milk replacer feeding program

Achieve optimum growth rate,

Minimize health disorders,

Stimulate and optimize rumen development,

Minimize the cost of feeding the young

calves.

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Essential properties of milk replacers:

• Nutritiously adequate.

• Easy to use, palatable and economical.

• Properly formulated

• Achieve comparable weight gain to that of whole milk.

• Supply sufficient energy, high quality protein, minerals and vitamins

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• Low in fibre , contain minimum of 22% total protein.

• Contain 10-20% fat.

• Ingredients should make a homogeneous mixture

with water.

• Must be good in consistency and remain in

suspension for some time for calf consumption.

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COMPOSITION OF MILK REPLACER

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Calf starter

It is a solid feed consisting of ground grains, oil cakes, animal protein

supplements & brans fortified with vitamins, minerals & antibiotic feed

supplements

It should contain 18%DCP OR 23-26 % CP & 75% TDN

Constituent can be altered acc to availability of feeds

Remember that calf does not grow on % of protein but rather on the amount

of protein & other nutrients

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Essential properties of calf starter

Nutritiously adequate.

Easy to use, palatable and economical.

• Properly formulated

Highly digestible

Supply sufficient energy, high quality protein, minerals and

vitamines

Low in fibre -less than 7% fiber because low level of fibrous

material benefits starter intake and calf growth

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Importance of starter

Improves the health of calves

Reduces the stress of weaning

Reduces the growth depressing factors

It reduces the chances of diarrhea in calves

Improve immune system

Help in rumen development

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COMPOSITION OF CALF STARTER (IVRI)Ingredients Percentage

Crushed barley/maize 50

G.N. Cake 30

Wheat bran 8

Fish meal/meat meal 10

Mineral mix 2

To 100 kg above mix ,following may be added:

Molasses 5-10%

Rovimix 10 g

Salt 0.5 %

Aurofac 20 g per quintal

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Ingradient Percentage

Cotton seed cake 20

Fish meal 20

Crushed maize 5o

Wheat bran 10

Another composition

GNC 30

Fish meal 10

Maize crushed 50

Rice bran 10

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Hay

Hay is also important to a calf’s diet

Start giving long, dry hay to calves at about two months of

age

Hay helps the calf’s stomach grow

It also gives the calf extra energy

Feeding dry feed is cheaper than milk

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Growing Calf: 0-3 monthsADG-500g, LW-50Kg (range: 30-70), BW: 30Kg

Requirements:LW-50Kg, DM-1.43Kg, TDN-1.60,CP-315g

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Feedstuffs Quantity DM TDN CP

Milk(4% fat), KgDM-12.80CP-3.5TDN-16.3

5.00 0.650 0.815 0.175

Starter mixture, KgTDN-80%CP-20%

1.20 1.080 0.864 0.216

Total nutrients, Kg 1.730 1.679 0.391

Growing calf: 3-6months

ADG-600g, LW-100Kg ( range: 70-130)

Requirements: LW-100Kg, DM-2.76, TDN-1.92, CP-0.440 Kg

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Maize fodder, Kg20:9:68

10.00 2.00 1.36 0.18

Concentrate, KgTDN-74%CP-25%

1.20 1.08 0.80 0.27


Growing calf: 3-6monthsADG-600g, LW-100Kg ( range: 70-130)


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Barseem fodder, Kg12:14:64

12.00 1.44 0.922 0.202

Concentrate,KgTDN 74%CP 18%

1.50 1.35 0.999 0.243


Growing calf: 6-12 months

ADG-600g, LW-185Kg ( range: 130-240 kg)


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15.00 3.00 2.040 0.270

Concentrate, KgTDN-70%CP-23%

1.50 1.35 0.945 0.311


Growing calf: 1-2 yearsADG-600g, LW-350Kg ( range: 240-460 kg)


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32.00 6.40 4.352 0.576


2.00 1.800 1.260 0.396




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Barseem fodder, Kg12:14:64

50.00 6.00 3.84 0.840


2.20 1.80 1.26 0.216




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Wheat straw, Kg90:04:44

3.50 3.150 1.386 0.126


5.50 4.950 3.465 0.990


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FEEDING OF CALF