Prepared by:

Dr. Al Nema A. Mustafa
Animal Production Section

The main aim behind feeding programs of newborn calves is to produce healthy calves through having the appropriate feeding.

Precautious measures should be taken before and after delivery

The mother cow should be isolated in a clean place covered with straw (hay).

• Clean the udder and start to milk colostrum directly after delivery to feed the infant calf.
• Give the mother cow the opportunity to lick up the newborn calf which should be separated when it becomes dry.
• The mother cow should wipe out the placenta after 8 hours from delivery.

Treatment of newborn calf

• Clean the nasal mucus.
• Wipe the umbilicus with Iodine to prevent infection.
• Feed the newborn calf with beestings (colostrum) within 30 minutes after delivery. Weight of the first nursing of colostrium should be averaged by 4% - 5% from the gross weight of the newborn calf.
• Avoid nursing newborn calf with curdle or sour milk during the first days of age.

Usage of stored colostrum should not exceed the following:

Feeding (nursing) period of beestings

• Nursing with colostrum usually starts directly after delivery till 3 days of age.
• The first 6 – 10 nursing are generally called the beestings (colostrums milk). However, the true beestings milk is the flowed milk in the first nursing, while the milk flowed during 4 – 5 days is the streaming milk.
• The streaming milk is usually given twice daily as from the third day after delivery. The percentage of milk should not be less than 10% from the gross weight of the newborn calf as follows:

Nursing of normal milk

• Feeding the newborn calf starts from the fourth day till weaning.
• Milk should be given twice daily.
• Milk should be diluted by part of water to three parts of milk.
• Start giving fresh water to the newborn calf from the first week.
• Feeding and drinking pots must be cleaned and sterilized regularly.
• Start mixing dry fodder (small quantities) after 3 – 5 days from delivery.
• Start feeding newborn calf with little quantities of constituent milk (18% protein) after being given the meal of mother milk.
• The initial consumption of the alternative milk should be started when the newborn calf reaches the age from 7 – 10 days.
• The initial consumption of the constituent milk shall be averaged about (025) pounds daily and the newborn calf has to be fed with fresh milk only.
• The dry fodder will help the growing of stomach.
• The Stomach of newborn calf grows slowly during the 120 days of age. Since the stomach has partial growing during the first 8 – 9 weeks of age, therefore fodder (hay or threshing grain) shall be given as from the 8 th week.
• Fresh water must be provided regularly.
• Cattle raiders usually mean their calves during the 5 th – 8 th week of age.
• Start weaning the calf when its consumption of dry fodder reaches from 1.5 – 2 pounds daily for three continuous days.
• Horns should be cut during the period from 4 – 6 weeks.

Definition

Substituent milk

The alternative milk given to newborn calf from the 4 th day after delivery and before the weaning time to reduce the costs and secure the cow milk for human consumption. Kind of protein and energy are of high importance especially for calves which still less than 3 weeks age because the functions of digestion have not developed yet.

Substituent milk contains the concentrated whey protein, animal and plant fats, vitamins, salts and amino acids. Soya and wheat proteins are sometimes added and high quality proteins such as red blood cells (erythrocyte) and plasma are added recently.

Colostrum

Milk cows usually give 22 – 24 liter of colostrum. It contains more than 90 constituents. The basic contents of colostrum are divided into two parts; they are the factors of impregnability and growth.

• Factors of impregnability:They prevent body against viruses, bacteria, fungi, allergy and other toxic poisons particularly during the first weeks of age.
They provide body with developed protective against epidemics.

• Some examples of impregnability:Immunoglobulin, Antibodies, Lactoferen, Glycoprotein, Lactoalbiomeen

• Factors of growth: They are numerous, help natural growth, renew the aged and damaged muscles as well as skin, bones, cartilage, nerves and encourage melting of fats instead of the protein of muscles.

References:

• Rebecca Frey colostrums Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
• Health Track-Infosource colostrums information:
  http://www.colostruminfo.com/basic_info/what_is_colostrum.html
• Heather Smith Thomas , calves need colostrums to build immunities:
  http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2002/march/ct195.shtml
• Jim Quigley , calf notes.com( http://www.calfnotes.com) calf note #53- milk replacer ingredients and labels