From Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator

Welcome to this edition of Starting Strong and Calf Chat. Summer is in full swing and this year seems to be the exception to the rule.  Many of you have faced more hot, humid and wet weather than normal for the Midwest.  While this can make your job as a calf raiser a bit more challenging, it also offers an opportunity to refine calf raising protocols before the cold weather returns. 

We often talk about the energy needs of calves in the winter, but keep in mind hot weather also requires more energy.  Calves are sweating and panting to stay cool, which increases their energy needs.  So, it still comes down to the basics – whether it is summer or winter.  You must provide a good plane of nutrition to meet the calf’s nutritional needs. 

Calves require lots of fresh, clean water and it should be available immediately.  On the hot and humid days, it is imperative to provide fresh water.  In some cases, a third or fourth offering of water may be necessary. As always, keep starter fresh and bedding dry!

By this time in the summer, we are seeing pathogen loads at their highest levels and cows and calves are feeling the stress of summer heat. Knowing this, you need to take extra steps to make sure all things coming in contact with the calf are clean and dry prior to use. This may include the hutch, feeding equipment, colostrum harvesting equipment, boots, hands, etc.  Monitor your colostrum program to make sure you are providing the best nutrition from the start. With bacteria counts at their highest, it is time to evaluate calf protocols to make sure we are providing the best environment for calves to grow. 

I also need to reiterate the importance of good fly control. They are out in full force with a vengeance this summer. Flies are masters at spreading disease from calf to calf. Little things you can do to help control flies are:

• Keep feeding areas and equipment clean
• Keep bedding dry and clean, including the area under the bedding
• The addition of lime, sawdust and other drying agents are also of great benefit
• Do not dump milk, feed or water refusals around your calf area
• The area around your calves should be clean and free of weeds and other debris
• Sprays, baits and feed additives will assist in elimination of the flies

 

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact myself or you local Vita Plus representative or dealer. 

Thanks and happy calf raising!

New Technologies Improve Calf Care on Minnesota Dairies

 

 

Installing an Automatic Milk Replacer Feeder

In February of 2009, Lisa and Steve Groetsch were the first in the United States to install a Lely automatic combi feeder to feed their calves.  Now they say there’s no way they’ll ever turn back.

Groetsch Dairy in Albany, Minn. is a family farm.  The Groetsches milk 180 cows with a total herd of 220 animals.   Lisa said the decision to install the automatic feeders was really one of efficiency.  As the primary calf feeder, she didn’t want to carry and wash 100 calf pails every day.  The Groetsches opted for a combi feeder so that they had the option of feeding milk replacer or waste milk in the future.

Lisa keeps the calves in individual pens for just under a week.  As soon as she feels a horn button, she applies a dehorning paste to the young animals while they are drinking from a nipple bottle.  They are then moved into group pens of about 20 calves and introduced to the automatic feeder.  Lisa said she could see growth improvement in her calves almost immediately after installing the autofeeders.  However, she said making the best use of the automatic feeder has been a learning experience.

For starters, Lisa said it’s important to keep the hoses for the autofeeders as short as possible.  The machine is run by “sucking power” and the young calves have a hard time drawing the milk replacer at first.  She also said it’s important to raise the height of the stand where the feeder rests. That helps to keep a clean area for the calves to stand as they are eating.

Sanitation is a key to calf health with autofeeders.  The feeder is programmed to rinse the hoses with water after every calf.  Lisa then sanitizes the nipples daily and the hoses weekly. 

Each calf receives an RFD tag when placed in the group pen.  This tag triggers the autofeeder to work and monitors how much milk replacer each calf is getting.  It also keeps track of the calves’ drinking speeds and whether or not they stop drinking after just a few seconds.  Lisa is able to review the records and uses them to evaluate calf health.  With improved recordkeeping as a major goal, Lisa said the autofeeders have been a great way to customize feedings for each individual calf and promote overall calf health on Groetsch Dairy. 

“The machine is really flexible,” Lisa said.  “I would recommend considering this option if you are looking at improving your calf facilities.”

 

Another Approach to Automatic Feeders

Just down the road a few miles, Tim Kerfeld owns and operates Hill-View Dairy with his family in Melrose, Minn.  The Kerfelds milk 165 cows and raise 210 dairy heifers.  The family also runs about 300 acres and does some custom harvesting for area producers.

For a long time, Tim was unsatisfied with his calf facilities and decided to convert a section of his old dairy barn into a calf barn to improve sanitation and ventilation.  Tim had originally considered installing individual stalls for all of his calves.  But at $290 per stall, the price tag was just too high to be practical for Hill-View Dairy.  He then saw the automatic feeder at a farm show and decided it would be a better investment.

Just like the Groetsch family, Tim installed a Lely autofeeder, but he put his own spin on the new technology.  Instead of placing the calves in individual pens for the first week, Tim decided to put the young animals into group pens starting at day 1.  That decision came at the recommendation of his Lely representative who said no one in Europe uses individual pens.

However, Tim keeps to a strict vaccination protocol for his youngstock.  Prior to freshening, cows and heifers are vaccinated with Scourguard® 4KC.  Young calves then receive Calf Guard and clostridium vaccines.  As a result, Kerfeld says his calves are healthy as ever.

Tim said the best part of the autofeeder is that it provides consistent feedings for the calves every time.  In the past, the regular calf feeder would be gone from time to time and someone else had to fill in.  That person may not have fed the calves the exact same way and it could have affected performance.  This way, no matter who is adding milk replacer to the autofeeder, the calves receive the exact same nutrition every time.

Tim said, “It takes the human error out of it.”

 

Custom-Designed Calf Barn Leads to Healthy Calves

If you ask Nick Meyer of Meyer Dairy in Sauk Centre, Minn., three components are essential to raising healthy calves:  pasteurized milk, clean pens and fresh, dry bedding.

Those three components are all integrated into the new calf facilities at Meyer Dairy.  A year and a half ago, Nick and his wife, Tara, converted their old tie stall barn into a calf barn.  The calves are placed in individual pens for six weeks and then move to group pens of 15 animals. 

The barn was designed so that an entire row of the 36 individual pens can be cleaned at one time and left empty for awhile to help sanitize the pens.  The stalls are home-built from converted pig gates and feature wide fronts.  Nick and Tara said the wide open fronts allow for better airflow and more comfortable calves.  In addition, the water and feed pails are spread further apart to keep water from slopping into the feed or vice versa.  The calves are always bedded with fresh, clean straw and a drainage system runs under each pen. 

Nick and Tara also decided to add a pasteurizer to their calf barn to feed waste milk to the young animals.  Tara said the animals are now growing faster and she’s seen earlier weaning times. 

Similar to the autofeeders at the previous two farms, installing the technology required some learning along the way.  For example, Tara regularly tests the bacteria levels in the pasteurizer.  She said she’s learned it’s best to store the raw milk and pasteurize it right before feeding rather than pasteurizing immediately and then letting it sit for a few hours until feeding.  This – in addition to daily cleanings with bleach and weekly acid cleaning – helps to minimize pathogen levels.

Tara said they’re also still learning to work out timing issues.  With many chores and responsibilities on the 175-head dairy farm, it’s sometimes tough to find a balance between getting everything done and providing consistency in feeding the calves.  However, Tara’s close recordkeeping assists with that challenge.  Charts posted near the pasteurizer help her keep track of each calf, its nutrition requirements and its weaning date.  In addition, the Meyers said they rely on continual employee training to make sure everyone is on the same page for raising healthy calves.

Are you still in the process of learning how the NT milk replacer changes affect your operation?  Check out our answers to these frequently asked questions. Consult your local Vita Plus representative or dealer for help in determining the most desirable approach for dealing with the changes.  

What are the major changes to the regulations for NT medicated calf milk replacers?  

Previous regulations

2:1 ratio of NT: 400 g/ton neomycin and 200 g/ton oxytetracycline

Use level: mg/gallon of reconstituted milk replacer

Indications for use: To aid in the prevention or treatment of bacterial enteritis (scours); may be fed continuously. 

New regulations

1:1 ratio of NT: 1600 g/ton neomycin and 1600 g/ton oxytetracycline

Use level: mg/lb of body weight. Approved rate is 10 mg/lb of body weight

Indications for use: For treatment of bacterial enteritis caused by E. coli and bacterial pneumonia (shipping fever complex) caused by P. multocida; treatment and control of colibacillosis (bacterial enteritis) caused by E. coli susceptible to neomycin; can be fed for 7 to 14 continuous days. 

What is the feeding rate for the new NT 1:1 calf milk replacers?

Feed 1.25 pounds of the NT 1:1 milk replacer powder per day to provide 10 mg of neomycin and 10 mg of oxytetracycline per pound of body weight to a 100-pound calf. Feed continuously for 7 to 14 days in place of normal milk replacer. 

How can the new NT 1:1 calf milk replacers be fed on-farm?

Feeding NT 1:1 milk replacer will require the calf raiser to inventory two milk replacers: the NT 1:1 product to be fed continuously for 7 to 14 days for treatment and control of scours and a non-medicated milk replacer or one containing a medication for coccidiosis control (e.g., decoquinate or lasalocid) for use at all other times outside of the NT 1:1 feeding period. 

Is NT 1:1 available as an add pack?  

Yes. The new add pack has an NT 1:1 concentration of 8 g per pound of each medication and is designed to be mixed with a non-medicated milk replacer or pasteurized milk. Feed 1 ounce per 100 pounds of body weight twice daily in reconstituted milk replacer or pasteurized milk for 7 to 14 continuous days to provide 10 mg of each drug per pound of body weight. This option does not require the inventory of two milk replacers on-farm and may allow for greater flexibility in mixing and medicating in some cases.

Are there other options available besides NT 1:1?  

Due to the fact that the new therapeutic level of NT can only be fed continuously for 7 to 14 days, calf raisers must develop options for maintaining an adequate level of calf health. Adequate passive transfer of immunity with good colostrum management and decreasing exposure to pathogenic organisms are essential for disease prevention.  Likewise, maintaining adequate protein and energy intake during the first three weeks of life is an area of opportunity on many farms in order to make sure the calf has enough nutrients available for mounting a proper immune response. 

A number of non-medicated feed additives such as spray-dried animal serum and plasma, prebiotics (such as mannan oligosaccharides or fructooligosaccharides), direct-fed microbials, essential oils, key vitamins and minerals, and others may be effective at reducing the incidence and severity of scours.

Do you ever wonder how your calves’ performance measures up against other calf raisers?  The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) has established its Gold Standards to help producers set goals for calf performance and health.   

The Gold Standards are set for Holstein calves from birth to six months of age across the U.S.  They are divided into six categories:  Mortality, morbidity, growth rate, colostrum management, nutrition and housing.  Following is what DCHA recommends for the first three categories.  Look to future editions of Starting Strong for Gold Standards in the remaining categories. 

Mortality

• Defined as loss of a calf more than 24 hours after birth
• Newborn calves should be put in an environment separated from adult animals and adult animal diseases
• Newborn calves need care to the navel to control infection
• Target mortality rates are:
  • Less than 5 percent for calves 1 to 60 days of age
  • Less than 2 percent for calves 61 to 120 days of age
  • Less than 1 percent for calves 121 to 180 days of age 

 

Morbidity

• Scours: A case of diarrhea that requires intervention for more than 24 hours
  • Less than 25 percent for calves 1 to 60 days of age
  • Less than 2 percent for calves 61 to 120 days of age
  • Less than 1 percent for calves 121 to 180 days of age

• Pneumonia:  A case of respiratory disease requiring individual animal treatment with an antibiotic (not including feed-grade medication with regular ration)
  • Less than 10 percent for calves 1 to 60 days of age
  • Less than 15 percent for calves 61 to 120 days of age
  • Less than 2 percent for calves 121 to 180 days of age 

 

Growth Rate

• Double birth weight between 1 and 60 days of age
• 2.2 pounds average daily gain between 61 and 120 days of age
• 2.0 pounds average daily gain between 121 and 180 days of age

From Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator

 

To maximize calf performance and health, you need to provide the key ingredients for summer living.  Offering free choice water is essential to a successful calf program.  

The amount of water lost from the calf’s body is influenced by air temperature, humidity, respiratory rate, housing conditions and activity of the animal.  Water is necessary for:

• Maintaining body fluids and proper ion balanceDigesting, absorbing and metabolizing nutrients
• Eliminating waste material and excess heat from the body

 

From birth to approximately two weeks of age, the calf is totally dependent on a milk or milk replacer diet for its daily nutrition requirements.  Most of the energy and amino acid needs of calves are met with intestinal digestion of milk or milk replacer.  When the calf begins to consume water and calf starter, bacterial fermentation begins to produce larger amounts of volatile fatty acids. This is responsible for the rapid rumen tissue development that allows for early weaning of calves.

Research shows calves receiving free choice water from birth to four weeks had a higher daily gain, consumed more calf starter and had fewer scour days than those calves receiving no free choice water.

Table 1. Effect of free choice water on performance

	Water
	Free Choice	None
Daily gain, lbs	0.68	0.40
Calf starter intake, lbs	26	18
Scour days per calf	4.5	5.4

Source: Kertz, 1984

Studies also show that calves offered water in addition to a liquid diet gain faster and consume dry feed earlier than calves provided water only in their liquid diet. Weaned dairy heifers consume approximately 1 to 1.5 gallons of water per 100 pounds of body weight.

Table 2. Guidelines for free choice water to calves

Age (months)	Gallons per day
1	1.3-2.0
2	1.5-2.4
3	2.1-2.8

Source: Penn State Extension

Water should be fresh, clean and always available.  Care should be taken to ensure adequate water supply during periods of heat stress. When outside temperatures and humidity soar, it is important to add extra water feedings to calves.

The temperature of drinking water appears to influence drinking behavior and animal performance. Given a choice of water temperature, calves prefer to drink water with moderate temperatures (63 to 82°F) rather than very cold or hot water. 

Easy recommendations for feeding water:

• Offer water starting at day 3
• Offer water at least twice a day
• Always offer fresh, clean water at a moderate temperature
• Water should be free-choice (do not limit water intake)
• Rinse pails between milk and water feedings (water should not be cloudy)
• Keep pails free of foreign material (i.e. feces, grain)
• Keep water and grain pails separate

Vita Plus stopped in at the Wisconsin State Fair (August 5 to 15 in West Allis, Wis.) to check out the education opportunities at the celebrated event. The House of Moo and the Milking Parlor Demonstrations offer visitors a chance to engage with Wisconsin's dairy industry, which contributes more than $26 billion to the state's economy.

 

Dr. Neil Michael comes to Starting Strong with nearly 30 years of experience as a veterinarian specializing in dairy.  He currently works as the Director of Dairy Initiatives for Vita Plus.

Q1: Should I test calves for BVD PI status?

BVD remains one of the most costly diseases in the U.S. cattle industry and is responsible for more than $2 billion in losses each year. Despite great advances in vaccine technology, BVD remains in dairy populations primarily through persistently infected (PI) animals as a result of BVD exposure of the dam during the first trimester (40-120 days) of pregnancy.

 

A high percentage of PI animals die within the first six months, but a small percentage that live often appear normal and cannot be detected visually. When comingling your calf herd, PI calves shed BVD virus to herdmates through saliva, urine and feces, resulting in higher treatment (scours/pneumonia) costs and increased overall death rates. At breeding age, BVD negatively impacts fertility and results in elevated pregnancy loss.

Therefore, a routine screening program for BVD PI animals is the only way to ensure that you currently or in the future do not experience these losses in your calf, breeding and lactating herds.

Q2: How do I implement a BVD testing program for my calves?

All calves, DOA and late-term abortions should be tested at birth by taking either an ear notch or blood sample to submit for PI testing. Positive animals should be removed from the premises and euthanized immediately.

Next, implement proper screening tests for the lactating adult herd. The dams of PI calves should be tested for PI status since all PI cows will have PI calves.

Screening calves is only part of a complete herd BVD control program that includes an effective vaccination program for all ages, routine screening of bulk tank milk and testing of all incoming herd replacements animals (including bulls).

Q3: What else should I know about BVD PI animals?

Just because all PI animals are apparently eliminated, new PI animals can be produced by pregnant animals exposed to circulating BVD within the herd from non-PI animals. Therefore, constant testing is critical for long term control of BVD.

Vaccination programs alone do not eliminate the risk of PI animals; proper screening is necessary to ensure that BVD PI animals are not causing hidden losses in your calf operation.

PI animals may appear “normal” even though they are shedding millions of BVD virus particles into their environment and exposing herdmates.