Calf and Heifer Rearing Feeds

Rearing the Replacement Dairy Heifer

Calves are the future of the dairy herd, their feeding and management should reflect this fact. Holsteins need to be managed correctly from birth in to reach their genetic potential. It is impossible to make up lost ground later on. Heifers should be grown rapidly to calve at 80% - 90% of mature body weight or at least 600kg at 24 months old. Calving under weight heifers is a very expensive option, which will limit lifetime milk yields and reduce profits.

Feeding the Calf (0 - 12 weeks) - Calf growth and development during the first 12 weeks of life lays down the foundation for the future dairy herd. Ensure that calves receive 3 litres of colostrum immediately after birth followed by a further 3 litres of colostrum 12 hours later. Pay attention to management, feeding and environment. Dry beds, and good ventilation are essential. Calves should have access to straw and water at all times  Feed plenty of high quality protein and energy to ensure rapid growth. We recommend the use of a high quality milk replacer, but where waste cows milk is used ensure that vitamin and mineral supplementation is adequate. A high quality calf concentrate should be available at all times. Addition of a live yeast supplement from birth throughout rearing is highly beneficial in order to maximize growth rates.

Feeding the Young Heifer (12 weeks - Puberty) - The aim should be to achieve fast efficient growth from birth to puberty. Grow frame not fat. Feeding plenty of quality protein e.g. soya along with a generous supply of energy will result in large framed heifers, able to be calved at an earlier age. The rumen is not fully functional until around 9 months of age. Until then calves cannot fully utilize forage or utilize soluble nitrogen or degradable protein from grass silage. In fact there is a high energy cost associated with excreting excess nitrogen as urea when excess degradable protein is fed. For heifers less than 6 months old 3kg - 4kg of a high quality concentrate should be fed with ad lib straw. Under nutrition during the first 12 months restricts the growth of the pelvis. This is a common problem which when accompanied with over conditioning and laying down fat later on will result in difficult calvings. Heifers should be served when they reach a height of 50 inches at the withers at around 13 - 15 months old. Frame size is more important than live weight. Avoid delayed service once heifers have reached target size. Late calving heifers are expensive to produce, are prone to over-conditioning and difficult calvings and have lower lifetime milk yields. Ensure adequate mineral and energy supplementation and avoid feeding excess degradable protein from forage which may result in high blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Never feed spoiled or badly fermented silages.

Feeding the In-Calf Heifer - Aim to grow rapidly on high quality forage, but avoid over-conditioning by restricting the energy density of the diet where necessary. Grow fit not fat. Ensure that mineral supplementation is adequate throughout and introduce to the dry cow or transition groups at least 3 - 4 weeks before calving.

RWN CALF AND REARING FEED RANGE

As well as significantly decreasing costs, results show both improved calf growth and improved calf health, along with reduced rearing problems and increased roughage and starter concentrate intakes which stimulate early rumen development. 

Casein protein makes Kalvolac Unique. The protein used is recombined skimmed milk powder produced by combining caseinate with high quality whey. Kalvolac does not include soya or other low cost raw materials. Oils used are very high quality spray dried coconut oils. Only food grade raw materials are used. 

The use of recombined skim to form a clot in the abomasum which is digested slowly and efficiently over 6 - 8 hours, avoids the problems associated with most calf milk replacers which are based on whey powder or vegetable protein. 

The result is fewer digestive upsets and reduced mortality. The special qualities of Kalvolac Unique mean that as well as being the product of choice for use in twice day bucket feeding systems, it also produces superb results on Once a Day feeding systems.

Kalvolac also contains IMAGRO a unique and exclusive symbiotic health concept containing a combination of pre-biotics and pro-biotics, lactic acid bacteria and organic acids which promotes robust intestinal growth in a healthy way. 

Kalvolac Unique really is in a league of it's own. The feedback from customers has been tremendous

"We have put around 80 calves through with very few problems. Despite taking 4 litres each end of the day we've had hardly any scour. Growth rates have been excellent and they are generally away from the farm looking good at 14 days."
Robert Leeson, Staffordshire.

"Farmers who have made the move to Kalvolac Unique have seen a marked improvement in both growth rate and in the general health of their calves. Kalvolac really is in a class of its own"
Richard Webster, RWN Ltd

Trouw's Milkivit Denkamilk Calf Milk Range - A comprehensive range of calf milk powders manufactured locally at Ashbourne in Derbyshire. Denkamilk contains GREENLINE shown to reduce the incidence of calf scour and to increase the calves natural immunity to disease. It stimulates feeding, improves digestion and optimizes growth potential. Modern calf milk powder has clear advantages over feeding whole milk both in terms of cost and performance. 

Golden Maverick Calf Milk Replacers -  This leading brand of Calf Milk Powders is now manufactured by Volac, and includes two high quality milk powder products in the Once-a-Day range, Once-a-Day-with-water and Once-a-Day-with-milk. The latter is designed to mix with cows milk where surplus milk is available. 

The Once-a-Day milk feeding system - offers the opportunity to feed a reduced volume of concentrated milk mix once a day thereby reducing labour inputs. Once-a-Day milk feeding offers clear advantages in terms of healthier calves, increased dry feed intakes, less bedding as a result of drier beds, earlier weaning and growth rates improved by up to 30%. The system is proving both much more cost effective and producing healthier, stronger calves than conventional rearing. Milk is fed in the morning at an increased concentration, and dry concentrates fed in the evening. To be successful it is essential to use a specialist high quality powder which will form a clot in the abomasum. Kalvolac Unique, and Trouw Nutrition's Once-a-day powder are all suitable for use with the Once-a-Day system. Whey or vegetable protein based calf milk powders which will not clot should however be avoided. 

Dry Feeds - We supply a full range of quality coarse calf mixes, calf pellets and rearing nuts and rearing blends available both in bags and in bulk designed to suit a wide range of rearing systems. We also specialize in providing heifer rearing minerals formulated specifically to meet the requirements of the individual farms own forage. If heifers are to achieve optimum growth rates it is essential that they receive an adequate supply of nutrients throughout their rearing period. Failure to supplement heifers at grass all too often results in failure to achieve their potential.

Accelerated Growth Programme -  Accelerating the growth of heifers offers tremendous scope to increase the performance and profitability of dairy herds in the UK. Reducing the age of calving by 2 months has been estimated to be worth over £200 per heifer reared. Increasing the size of the heifer at calving offers even greater benefits in terms of increased milk yields as well as reduced metabolic problems during the subsequent lactation. It is also far more efficient to grow heifers before they calve than during their first lactation. Accelerated Growth involves using specially formulated diets in order to obtain a larger framed heifer rather than an over conditioned or fat heifer suffering from 'fatty udder'. RWN AGP Coarse is a specialist coarse calf and heifer supplement designed specifically as part of an accelerated growth programme for dairy heifers. The emphasis being to increase frame size rather than to lay down body fat. Other supplements such as Biocell Yeast and Ostrea are also recommended to both improve feed efficiency and increase growth rates.

FIAM Nutri-Plus for Calves - Boost Immune Response 

Healthy Calves = High Growth Rates = Bigger Younger Healthier Calving Heifers

= Reduced Rearing Costs = Maximum Potential Lifetime Yields = Improved Profitability

Nutri-Plus is a supplement based on carefully selected natural herbs, essential oils and plant extracts. Nutri-Plus provides nutrition designed to boost the calves immune system. Trials have shown that ingredients used in Nutri-Plus improve the calf's natural ability to fend off disease resulting in general disease protection, better respiratory health and higher growth rates.

Field trials during 2004, 2005 and 2006 were conclusive. Calves that had been badly affected by Virus Pneumonia stopped coughing after 3 - 5 days with subsequent good health.

Customers using the system, report that Nutri-Plus provides good control and prevention of Virus Pneumonia and other potential health related problems and consequently results in improved performance and accelerated growth rates.

Nutri-Plus is a complementary feedingstuff designed to support the general health of the calf and thus maximize growth potential. Nutri-Plus consists of two distinct products, one for adding to milk or milk replacer and one for adding to dry follow on feeds. Feeding from birth to 6 months of age is recommended to obtain the maximum benefits of improved health and accelerated growth rates.

Key Benefits of Nutri-Plus:

• Supports the immune system
• Aids the protection of the animal against disease
• Promotes respiratory and gastro-intestinal health
• Helps relieve stress
• Increases anti-oxidant uptake
• Accelerated growth
• Fewer heifers calving down with compromised health

For dairy farmers committed to high yielding, healthy heifers Nutri-Plus is a must have!

Full nutritional support package free of charge to customers along with the most extensive range of high quality feed inputs available

Working together for a more profitable future