Teagasc Calf Rearing Manual

Best practice from birth to three months

Section 1 - The Newborn Calf (PDF)

• Introduction to calf rearing 
• Care of the newborn calf 
• Colostrum feeding of the newborn

Section 2 - Calf Procurement and Transfer (PDF)

• Sourcing the calf 
• Transporting the calf from farm of origin 
• Habituation to a new environment

Section 3 - Milk Feeding (PDF)

• The liquid diet 
• Milk feeding systems 
• Milk feeding methods 
• Milk replacer feeding 
• Milk replacer nutritional specification

Section 4 - Rumen Development (PDF)

• Development of the calf digestive system 
• Concentrate feeding and feed additives
• The importance of water and fibre

Section 5 - Calf Accommodation (PDF)

• Calf house management
• Individual and group housing
• Calf house ventilation

Section 6 - Calf Health (PDF)

• Calf diagnosis and disease prevention 
• Diarrhoea (scour) 
• Pneumonia
• Other common conditions

Section 7 - Routine Calf Management Practices (PDF)

• Tagging, castrating and disbudding calves 
• Successful weaning of calves 
• Monitoring calf growth and performance

Section 8 - Welfare and Safety on Farm (PDF)

• Animal welfare 
• Health and safety around calving and calf facilities