Calf Rearing and Welfare
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Healthy calves are the first step to having thriving replacements and growing animals. Calf health depends greatly on the quality and management of the calf in early life, particularly in the first six weeks. Read on to learn how to effectively manage your calves from birth to weaning and on to successful management post-weaning.
Our calf rearing videos and Calf Rearing Manual deal with all aspects of calf rearing. See also Management of dairy beef calves and Calf-beef farm health and welfare
Calf Rearing and Calf Health (Presentation)
Go to section:
- Preparing Calving Facilities
- Welfare and Safety on Farm
- Night Time Feeding = Day Time Calving
- The Newborn Calf
- Managing Colostrum Cows
- Calf Procurement and Transfer
- Milk Feeding
- Rumen Development
- Calf Housing
- Calf Health
- Routine Calf Management Practices
- The principles of good calf rearing
Managing Colostrum Cows
Get tips and advice on managing freshly calved cows.
Managing freshly calved cows can be time consuming. In this short clip learn how you can better manage your workload during this time
Night Time Feeding = Day Time Calving
Find out how to manage the feeding of your cows to reduce night time calving
Research has shown that restricting silage feeding during the day resulted in a 9% less night calving rate. In this short clip hear what you can do to achieve similar results..
Preparing Calving Facilities
Get your preparation for calving done early to be ready for the busy calving period
Prepare during the dry period before calving to help reduce the peak workload during calving. In this short clip learn top tips to help with the busy calving season ahead.
Welfare and Safety on Farm
Calf Rearing Manual - Welfare and Safety on Farm (PDF)
- Animal welfare
- Health and safety around calving and calf facilities
Animal Welfare and Health and Safety focuses on how to, and the importance of, preparing your calving and calf rearing facilities in advance of the season.
The Newborn Calf
Calf rearing manual - The Newborn Calf (PDF)
- Introduction to calf rearing
- Care of the newborn calf
- Colostrum feeding of the newborn
The Newborn Calf - Introduction to calf rearing, care of the newborn calf, colostrum feeding of the newborn
Calf Procurement and Transfer
Calf rearing manual - Calf Procurement and Transfer (PDF)
- Sourcing the calf
- Transporting the calf from farm of origin
- Habituation to a new environment
Calf Procurement and Transfer -Sourcing the calf, transporting the calf from farm of origin, habituation to a new environment
Milk Feeding
Calf Rearing Manual - Milk Feeding (PDF)
- The liquid diet
- Milk feeding systems and methods
- Milk replacer feeding
The liquid diet, milk feeding systems and methods. Milk replacer feeding, milk replacer nutritional specification
Rumen Development
Understand the development of the rumen to help transition the calf from a milk based diet to a solid feed based diet.
Calf rearing manual - Rumen Development (PDF)
- Development of the calf digestive system
- Concentrate feeding and feed additives
- The importance of water and fibre
The primary objective of the calf rearing phase is to transition the calf from a milk based diet to a solid feed based diet.
Calf Housing
Calf rearing manual - Calf Accommodation (PDF)
- Calf house management
- Individual and group housing
- Calf house ventilation
Calves need clean dry bedding, a draught free environment. They can be reared in individual or group pens
Calf Health
Calf rearing manual - Calf Health (PDF)
- Calf diagnosis and disease prevention
- Diarrhoea (scour)
- Pneumonia
- Other common conditions
Calf diagnosis and disease prevention, diarrhoea (scour), pneumonia and other common conditions
Routine Calf Management
Calf rearing manual - Routine Calf Management Practices (PDF)
- Tagging, castrating and disbudding calves
- Successful weaning of calves
- Monitoring calf growth and performance
Tagging, castrating and disbudding calves. The successful weaning of calves and monitoring calf growth and performance
The principles of good calf rearing
The success of a calf rearing programme depends on the stockperson’s ability to optimise the 10 principles of good calf rearing.
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