Calf rearing: Achieving optimal ruminal development

Teagasc and Animal Health Ireland (AHI) ran a series of CalfCare on-farm events throughout January, supported by Feed for Growth.

Stuart Childs, Teagasc Dairy Specialist, spoke to us at one of the events to provide an overview of achieving optimal ruminal development – a key objective of the milk feeding phase, along with growing the calf, to ensure the calf is able for its future diet under a grass-based system.

In the below video, Stuart details the changes that occur within the calf’s four-chambered stomach, moving from an animal very much dependent on milk to one where through the development of the rumen, forages can be digested.

Splitting the calf rearing period into three, Stuart noted that calves are very much dependent on the liquid diet for the first four weeks of life. The four to eight week period is a time of transition, he added, where the calf’s rumen develops. And once the calf reaches 12-13 weeks of age, provided the optimum management has been implemented, their rumen should be developed.

Aiding in the rumen development will be the introduction of a calf starter ration and fresh water from three days of age, with a target concentrate consumption of 1kg/head/day required before weanling should occur.

Stuart shares more detailed information in the below video: