Care and management of calves, heifers, milch animals

1. CARE AND
MANAGEMENT OF
CALVES
Dr. P. Ravikanth Reddy
MVSc, PhD
Guest Faculty
KBR College of Agriculture and Horticulture
Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University
Dr. YSR Horticulture University

2.  While in the womb itself.
 Last trimester of pregnancy – more than half of the growth.
 Cow –High quality green fodder +
concentrate mixture + salt, Ca, P, trace
minerals.

3.  Clear mucus from mouth and nose
 Allow cow to lick
 Cut navel cord with sterilized scissor
 Tincture of Iodine
 Expel meconium

4. Systems of raising dairy calves
 1) Keeping calf with dam
 2) Weaning system
a. Weaning immediately after birth
b. Weaned after 3 days
Economical, no problem in case of calf or mother death, Exact feeding,
Cows become regular breeders

5. Feeding of calves
 Rumen not completely developed.
 250 g butter milk + 100 g mustard oil – To expel meconium (First
faecal matter).
 Colostrum with in 15 to 30 mintutes @ 1/10th of Body weight*.
 Antibodies, protein, lysozyme, and Vitamin A.
 Prevents scours, diarrhea, and other GIT disorders.

6. Milk component Colostrum Milk
Protein 14% - 15% 3.5%
Lactose 3% - 3.5% 4.5%
Fat 3.5% 4%-5%
Solid not fat 22% 13%
Water 78% 87%
Immunoglobulins 5.5% - 6.8% 0
IgG 50.5 mg/ml
IgA 3.9 mg/ml
IgM 4.2 mg/ml
Antimicrobial peptide (Lactoferrin) 0.1 g/100 g
Growth Factors
Epidermal growth factor 30 – 50 mcg/L
Transforming growth factor 2.2-7.2 mcg/L
TGF 1-2 mg/L
Insulin like growth factor 10 mg/L
Growth hormone 0.03 ng/L
Colostrum composition
In addition several vitamins and minerals are present in colostrum

7. Colostrum substitute
 3 times per day for first 3-4 days
 One whipped egg
 300 ml water
 Half tea spoon castor oil
 600 ml whole milk
1 Egg Half tea spoon Castor oil 600 ml whole milk

8.  Hand feeding
 Pail feeding

9. Common feeding to calves
 Colostrum
 Whole milk
 Skim milk (Less energy)
 Calf starter
 Milk replacer
 Grains
 Hay
 Pasturing calves

10. If whole milk is replaced with Skim milk:-
Skim milk should be supplemented with grain mixture, dextrin, jaggery, oil and lard.
Feeding schedule for calves

11. Calf starter
 Mixture of grains, vitamins,
minerals, and antibiotics.
 Fed adlibitum.
 Fed up to 2.5 to 3 months age or
when calf starts consuming 1.5 to
2 kg.
 22% DCP, 70% TDN, and fiber
less than 7%.
Ingredient Parts
Maize 60
Deoiled groundnut
cake
30
Rice bran 10
Fish meal 7
Mineral mixture 2
Salt 1
Chemical composition
Crude Protein 20 %
Composition of calf starter

12. 6 weeks old calf’s rumen
Fed only
milk
Fed milk + calf
starter
Fed milk +
forage
Little papillae
development
Little papillae
development
More papillae
development

13. Milk Replacer
 To make calf rearing economical.
 Dried whey, dried whey product, and
dried whey protein concentrate.
 Substitute for milk.
 Mixed with warm water (1:8).
 22-25 percent good quality protein.
Whey and fat separation
Dried whey

14. Grain feeding
 After 4 months age.
 Wheat, barley, oats, bran, linseed meal.
Hay feeding
 Offered at 2 weeks of age.
 Good quality hay should be offered.
Pasturing calves
 Grazed outside

15. Housing of calves
 Good ventilation
 Not damp and dirty
 Feed boxes, Watering equipment
 Grouped according to age and kept separately

16. Marking calves
 Identification of calves
Castration of bull calves
 Docile and tender meat
Dehorning
 Safe to handle
 Prevents horn cancer
 Hot iron or caustic potash
or electrical method
At
2
to
3
weeks
age
Dehorning
Castration

17. CARE
AND
MANAGEMENT OF
HEIFERS

18.  4 months to till it gives birth to calf.
Objectives
 For desired frame work and body weight.
 Desired wither height.
 Should calve at 22 to 23 months.

19. Methods of raising Heifers
Outdoor system –
 Grazing
 Each field not more than 5 days.
 Should contain legume grasses.
 Shade and supply of cool drinking water.
 Mineral mixtures provided inside. Mobile cattle shade
Stylos pasture land

20. Indoor system –
 Separated from male calves after 6 months.
 Space fixed as per the age.

21. 4 to 12 months age –
 Rumen capacity is not sufficient.
 So, provide good feed.
 18% DCP and 65-70% TDN.
 Avoid too much grain feed to avoid overweight (Breeding problems).
Fat cow

22. 12 to age of calving –
 Rumen capacity is sufficient.
 Same like earlier, but provide grains incase of poor quality feed.
 Check Body condition score.

23. Some management techniques for early conception
 Flushing - ?
 Grouping – Groups as per age.
 Culling – Anatomical defects
 Exercise – Grazing means no need
 Breaking-in Heifers – Docile with halter.
 Steaming up – Few days before calving (1.5 Kg concent. Mixture)
 Deworming – every 6 months once
 Control of ectoparasites - (0.5% BHC, 1% Malathion spray)
 Vaccination of heifers – 6 months age – TB, Rinderpest, FMD.

24. CARE
AND
MANAGEMENT OF
MILCHING ANIMALS

25.  Maintenance ration.
 1 Kg concentrate for 2 – 2.5 liters milk.
 Mineral mixture or mineral blocks.
 Follow strict time table of inter calving period.

26. Mineral supplementation

27.  Regularity of feeding – Conc. Mixture before milking.
 Regularity of milking – 3 times per day.
 Full hand milking
 Grooming of cows
 Wallowing of buffaloes
 Mastitis prevention
 Record maintenance

28. Full hand milking

29. Knuckling method of milking

30. Wallowing of buffaloes

31. Grooming of cows

32. CARE
AND
MANAGEMENT OF
DRY ANIMALS

33. Objectives
 For recovery of rumen and udder for early lactation.
 Preparation of forth-coming lactation.
 BCS should be 3.0 to 3.5.
 Incase of pregnancy, extra feed.

34. CARE
AND
MANAGEMENT OF
PREGNANT ANIMALS

35. Objectives
 Move to clean, disinfected calving box.
 Prevent milk fever.
 Watch for parturition symptoms.