Young cattle – calf

Calves usually suckle for the first time within hours of birth. Calves gain access to the udder from in front of the hind leg of the dam.

The first milk after birth, colostrum, contains immunoglobulins that play an important role in the development of the calf’s immune system. During the first week or more of life the calf will be left on its own way from the herd, which is termed hiding behavior.

Calves should never be accommodated with adults in the cowshed. The calf house must have provision for daylight ventilation and proper drainage.

Young calves should only have fresh pellets available. They should be offered a new batch of pellets each day while those left from the previous day can be fed to older weaned calves.

Good management dictates that producers find each calf to ensure that it is in good health and receiving adequate nutrition.

Another area of concern for calves is unthriftiness, weak calf syndrome and calves that do no suck, a condition known as dummy calf syndrome.

For an efficient management and housing, the young stock should be divided into three groups, viz., young calves (age up to one year), bull calves (the male calves over one year) and the female calves (above one year).
Young cattle – calf

Colostrum of dairy cattle

Newborn calves are very susceptible to disease. Before they can develop their own immunity they are entirely dependent on the antibodies contained in their mother’s milk.

Colostrum is the name given the milk produced just before and after the calf is born. The first colostrum is very different from most of the milk produced during the lactation.

It contains about twice the solid level of normal milk and the very high level of immunoglobulin.

The greatest difference in colostrum and later milk is the extremely high level of the protein, globulin that contains the antibodies. Its fat content is often, but not always, higher than that of milk.

Of the individual minerals Ca, Na, Mg, P and chloride are higher in colostrum but K is lower.

Claves should have access to 4 L to colostrum within the first six hours of life. They will not need any additional milk for the next 12 to 24 hours.
Colostrum of dairy cattle