CALF REARING Basics and recommendations for a successful rearing.

Introduction Economically successful dairy farms attach great importance to high milk yields and a long productive life for dairy cows. To achieve this, the health and development of the calf during the feeding phase is very important. The rearing of the future dairy cow starts with the colostrum supply of the newborn calf and continues with optimal feeding in the drinking phase. Well-fed calves not only show high daily weight gains during the first weeks of life, but also optimal organ development, a healthy gut microbiome and good immunity. Optimum rearing lays the foundation for the performance...

1.6 High weight gains as a calf are the basis for high milk yields as a cow .. 16 2. Animal health begins in the gut 5. bewi-SAN - solutions for successful calf rearing

Fischer et al. 2018 were able to demonstrate impressively the influence of the timing of the initial colostrum supply on the imprinting and development of the immune system. Prompt provision of colostrum led to a rapid increase in IgG concentration in the blood, thereby inducing rapid immunity in the calves‘ blood. If colostrum is provided later (6 or even 12 hours later), the IgG concentration in the blood rises slowly and with a delay. The critical immunological phase lasts longer and the calves become more susceptible to disease. 1.1 C ommon problems in calf rearing It is important to consider...

Colostrum is usually milked into a jug. Studies show that even very If the supply of immunoglobulins is inadequate, problems such as immunodeficien- good colostrum can be heavily contaminated with pathogens in the cy, total losses, poor growth rates and high treatment costs are inevitable. It is almost jug. This can increase by the time it reaches the teat. impossible to make up for the deficiencies of the first hours of life! Almost 70 % of colostrum samples showed coliform contamination The four golden rules of colostrum feeding: by the time it reached the teat (Boelhauve et al. 2018). Speed:...

In case of whole milk feeding: 1.3 Whole milk feeding and supply of iron According to Bostedt et al. (1990) 18.8 % of all naturally born calves show a lack of iron. In case of extended birth this value increases up to 42.2 %. Compared to the calf's nutritional demand, whole milk contains less trace elements, especially iron. If calves are only fed whole milk, the supply of iron is insufficient. Iron is not only an essential component for the formation of the blood element haemoglobin, but is also producing antibodies which fight against infections. Anaemia, lower daily weight gains and a weak...

1.5 M etabolic imprinting Recent studies show that the nutritional status of the calf in the first weeks of life has a strong influence on its later performance. Even in the first few weeks of life, the calf‘s metabolism is characterised by high metabolic performance such as feed intake, growth and later milk yield. This process is often referred to as ‚metabolic imprinting‘. The development of the udder and other organs also takes place in the first weeks of life. The calf needs adequate amounts of energy and nutrients for optimal development of all organs (Hammon et al. 2020). Many studies...

Worldwide interest and research in early calf nutrition has been increasing in the last 2 decades. Early studies have shown that calves fed ad libitum ingest about 20% of body weight per day and can achieve daily weight gains of more than 1 kg. Current recommendations take this into account and are based on two parameters - the amount of energy (metabolisable energy) to achieve body weight gain ("energy-allowable gains”) and -the amount of protein (protein to energy ratio) to achieve lean tissue growth and organ development and to prevent the calves from becoming too fat. In the first few weeks...

Not all calves take up solid feed as early as possible. It is often necessary to support this by reducing the amount of offered milk. A longer-term analysis of 2252 female calves on a dairy farm in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Volkmann et al. 2019) clearly showed the influence of calf development in the first year of life on milk yield in the first lactation. Calves with a daily gain of more than 1000 g/day had the highest average milk yield of 9700 kg in the first lactation. The weaning phase forms an important point in calf's life during transition period to ruminants and has to be planned...

2.2 Our BEWITAL-Vitality-System (BVS 2.0) Our BEWITAL-Vitality-System (BVS 2.0) is constantly being developed to optimise calf rearing and support animal health right from the start, based on the latest findings from animal nutrition research and extensive practical 2.1 The sooner, the better 70 to 80 percent of an animal’s immune system is located in the gut? So the gut plays a key role in health and performance. Therefore, our primary goal should be to promote healthy intestinal developOnly a healthy intestine can optimally absorb and digest nutrients. ment as early as possible and to maintain...

2.3 O ur calf concept to promote intestinal health Intestinal health is a crucial factor for well-being and performance. The intestines of newborn calves are still developing and are therefore more susceptible to disorders. It is important to support the intestinal health of the calf as best as possible from the beginning. Adapted feeding is of great importance in this context. ANIMAL HEALTH BEGINS IN THE GUT With our BEWI-SAN products you can positively influence the intestinal microbiome and the intestinal barrier from the first day of life. For this purpose, we recommend a high-quality calf...

We are offering our milk replacer assortment BEWI-MILK® to supply calves optimally in the first weeks of life and to reach their full growth potential. It is based on latest scientific knowledge and actual feeding instructions. Following aspects feature our range: • Adjusted to different practical requirements we offer suitable products for every feeding situation. • Problem free feed intake (important for young calves). 3.1 Special calf milk replacer with skimmed milk powder BEWI-MILK® Protect Maximum safety and growth Intensive rearing in the first weeks of life is only possible with a healthy...