Whey for feeding cows. Animal feed

Proper feeding of calves is the key to their health and rapid growth. This process is not difficult to organize, but you need to know a few important rules. Feeding a baby should be competent from the first days of his life. If your baby does not drink on his own, you will have to be patient and gradually teach him to do so. Often mother's milk alone is not enough, so artificial formula has to be used. They need to be properly diluted and additionally enriched with vitamins.

How to feed young animals correctly

Milk is essential for newborn calves, so it is important to know how to feed them properly. Several devices are used:

probe;
bottle with pacifier;
bucket;
bucket with pacifier;
automatic device.

Calves up to 3 months of age are sometimes fed with a tube, but it must be pushed in so that it penetrates the abomasum. The baby's stomach is poorly developed, so this device is a last resort. It is not recommended to use a feeding tube for calves at home. The procedure should be carried out by an experienced person who knows how to do it correctly. The dewetting apparatus is also used only on farms.

A newborn calf can be fed using a nipple. But there is one important drawback. Milk flows out faster than from a cow's udder. Therefore, a large amount of drink can end up in the rumen and begin to rot.

It is very convenient to feed calves from a bucket with a nipple. Animals will not need to be watered on their own. You just need to hang the bucket on a hook and bring the baby to it. The nipple located at the bottom imitates the udder of a cow.

The most inconvenient devices are containers without special devices for sucking. The difficulty is that teaching kids, for example, to drink from a bucket can be very difficult.

If he refuses to drink

Inexperienced farmers often do not understand why a calf does not want to drink. Animals sometimes refuse milk because they do not know how to consume it on their own. In this case, the owner will have to be patient and feed the baby on his own.

This must be done carefully so that the swill does not get into the lungs. Otherwise, an inflammatory process may begin.

Let's take a closer look at how to teach a calf to drink. First, baby cattle must be taught to drink from their fingers, then from a bottle with a nipple, and only then from a bucket. Accustoming bulls to drinking should be gradual, otherwise they may get scared and refuse milk altogether.

You need to cup three fingers, scoop up the drink and pour it into the animal’s mouth. As soon as he starts sucking, you should lower your fingers closer to the bucket and use your free hand to push the baby towards it. When the calf begins to drink from the bucket on its own, you need to make sure that it does not rush.

Calf feeding scheme

There is a certain feeding scheme for calves that must be followed during feeding. In the first three days, the volume of milk per day should be 8% of the animal’s weight. Moreover, within 1.5 hours after birth, the baby should receive 2 liters of colostrum. From the fourth day, the amount of milk should be equal to 1/7 of the animal’s weight. In the first place. The young animals need to be fed five times a day for a week. Starting from the second week, four times will be enough, and from the third - three times.

It is better to underfeed a baby than to overfeed it. On average, from days 1 to 7 the animal drinks 4 liters of milk per day, from days 8 to 14 - 5.5 liters, from days 15 to 21 - 7.5 liters, and from days 22 to 30 - 8.8 liters. In the next month, you need to increase the volume of grain that the calf eats daily, and reduce the volume of milk.

It is impossible to exceed the norm of feeding milk, since already on the 4th day the animal needs to start giving oats and accustom it to water. It must be offered half an hour after feeding so that the calf does not become thirsty. Children often drink very greedily, so you need to control this process.

If goat's milk is used for drinking, it must be diluted with water due to its high fat content.

Feeding with artificial formula

It happens that the cow’s milk is not enough for the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to use artificial mixtures that are made on the basis of milk powder. You need to approach the choice of mixture very responsibly and carefully read the instructions before purchasing. A quality product contains approximately 21% protein, 20% fat, about 0.8% calcium and phosphorus. It is also important to pay attention to the amount of fiber. It should be no more than 1%. The mixture should be diluted strictly according to the instructions.

At the same time, it is necessary to enrich the finished swill so that the kids receive a sufficient amount of vitamins. To 1 liter of milk you need to add 3 eggs, 15 ml of fish oil and 6 g of salt. The resulting mixture should be mixed thoroughly until it becomes homogeneous.

Fish oil replenishes the lack of vitamins A and D, and eggs contain lysozyme, which is necessary to protect against all kinds of infections. In addition, they include the protein that animals require for good health. When using an artificial mixture, bovine serum will not harm. It must be used as a dietary supplement strictly according to the instructions included with the package.

Mistakes when using mixtures

If the decision has been made to use artificial mixtures for calves, you need to be able to choose them correctly. It would be a mistake to buy a mixture based on fat content. The fact is that fat content increases as a result of the addition of vegetable fats, which are not suitable for animals up to 1 month old. Therefore, you need to look at the amount of milk in the composition.

To prevent the calf from getting gastrointestinal diseases, you cannot immediately switch from cow's milk to formula. An unprepared stomach will get stressed and upset will begin. The mixture should be introduced gradually, increasing the portion at each subsequent dose. The process should take about 7 days.

English farmers attach great importance to raising calves. In this regard, in recent years, serious attention has been paid to the study of many new factors that have a beneficial effect on raising calves, and to finding the most correct system for feeding and maintaining them. As a result of all the research carried out, the following recommendations were developed.

Calf housing. Calves are housed in buildings with sufficient space for movement, plenty of sunlight and fresh air, no drafts, and adequate amounts of clean, dry bedding.

Each calf is usually kept in a separate pen until 2-4 weeks of age. It is believed that this reduces the possibility of the spread of diseases during the initial period and prevents mutual suckling of calves.

It is also possible to keep several calves in one pen. In this case, during feeding, the calves are separated from each other by temporary partitions, which have separate feeders and special rigid fastenings for dishes with milk, mash and dry food.

For calves up to 1 month old, the area of a single pen is about 1.82×1.22 m2, but not less than 1.5×1.22 m2.

Partitions between machines can be solid or lattice. Lattice partitions allow calves to see each other and facilitate the circulation of fresh air. The partitions can be easily moved if the machines need to be expanded. In rooms where there are drafts, it is recommended to make solid partitions.

Calves aged 1 to 6 months are housed in groups. It is believed that 2.79 m 2 of area is required per calf; With the age and growth of the calf, the area per head increases. For heifers aged 2 or more years, the stall area must be at least 4.65 m2. It is believed that if calves have been raised together in the same group, they can easily fit into a small stall or barnyard, while calves brought together for the first time require a large area. However, if there is crowding, calves grow unevenly, so it is recommended to allocate as much space as possible for them.

The floor of the stall is made throughout hard, waterproof (easy to clean) and insulated, which ensures dryness and warmth of the bedding. It should have a slight slope towards a narrow gutter in the passage, which allows water to drain from the stall during cleaning and disinfection. The stall should generally be lined with moisture-absorbing peat moss, which is replenished as needed.

Feeding calves. Newborn calves are usually left under the cow for 2-4 days. Such calves have a very small stomach, so it is better if they receive milk in small portions, but more often. And this method of feeding is most easily accomplished by suction. According to farmers, there is no need to worry that a strong calf may suck more milk than it needs. This happens very rarely.

If for some reason the calf is taken away from the cow immediately after birth, it is given water for the first 4 days at least three times a day. The daily rate of colostrum feeding ranges from 1.7 to 2.8 liters, depending on the size of the calf. A newly born calf is given some warm (blood temperature) colostrum as soon as possible.

When a cow dies during calving or when purchasing a calf at the age of 1-2 days, colostrum substitutes are used to feed it. For the first 3 days, a good substitute is an egg beaten with 280 g of warm water, adding 1/2 teaspoon of castor oil and 0.56 liters of milk. The average calf is also given two tablespoons (28 g) of castor oil as a colostrum substitute (to stimulate bowel function) and, in addition, two teaspoons of fish oil are added to each portion of diluted milk.

There is no special supervision for the calf when it is kept under the cow. Only after each feeding of the calf is the cow's udder checked and the remaining milk milked.

It has been established that overfeeding a calf has a bad effect on its digestion and increases the cost of feeding. It is considered better if the calf is slightly hungry after each feeding. As a general rule, it is recommended to give 500 g of milk or mash per 5 kg of live weight. The live weight of a newborn Shorthorn dairy heifer, according to the English Dairy Research Institute, ranges on average from 38.5-40.8 kg, so the average daily milk intake is approximately 3.6-4 kg.

On many farms, feeding milk to calves is kept to a minimum and rearing is widely practiced mainly on milk substitutes - mash or dry concentrates. Both of these calf feeding methods are described in detail below.

Feeding calves with milk and mash. From the 3-5th day to 3-4 weeks of age, calves are fed whole milk from the total milk yield. Then, instead of whole milk, they partially begin to give mash, and by 7-8 weeks of age, whole milk is completely replaced with mash. Some milk mixtures, consisting mainly of powdered milk with the addition of fish oil and dry yeast, are very widely used in England. They are able to replace whole milk for calves already 2-3 weeks of age.

Industrial production and sale of proprietary milk mixtures in the form of flour or granules have been organized. These mixtures come in two types. Mixtures of the "starter" type (initial) are used for feeding calves in the form of a mash starting from 14 days of age. They are able to completely replace milk for a calf up to 6-8 weeks of age. Follow-on formulas (continued) are intended for older calves and are usually given as dry food.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has required companies producing starter-type milk formula to have a ministry approval label on each bag and include all instructions for its preparation and feeding. To prepare mash, usually 450 g of dry proprietary mixture is diluted in 4.5 liters of water.

At about 4 weeks of age, the calf becomes able to chew the cud, and from this time on, good hay is fed to it.

Chatterbox is given for up to 4-5 months. The daily norm of dry concentrates is 700-900 g per head. If there is a sufficient amount of good hay and the necessary dry food, feeding the chatterbox after 3 months of age is considered inappropriate.

When the daily milk or milk supply decreases, the calf is given the opportunity to drink clean water (slightly warmed in winter) twice a day.

Below is a scheme for feeding calves with milk and mash, recommended for farms (Table 10).

From the end of the 12th week, the hay supply increases to 1 kg, and the amount of concentrates for a medium-sized calf is increased to 1.3-1.5 kg per day. The total amount of different feeds consumed by a calf in the first 6 months of life is as follows: milk 92.5 l, milk substitutes in the form of flour 22.68 kg (for mash), dry concentrates 152.4-177.8 kg, hay 203.2 kg.

If faster growth of calves is required, the amount of feed is increased.

Mixtures for mash are often prepared directly on the farm. The most common ingredients for such mixtures are oat, wheat, bean, pea flour and ground flaxseed. Flaxseed meal is widely used among commercial feeds.

In practice, mixtures of the following composition (by weight) gave good results.

In the evening, the mixture is diluted with water at the rate of 450 g of the mixture per 2.2 liters of boiling water. The next morning, the resulting mash is boiled for 10 minutes, then another 2.2 liters of hot water is added, salt is added and cooled to 37-38° (body temperature). Fed with the addition of whole milk or without milk, depending on the age of the calf (whole milk is added to calves up to 6-7 weeks of age).

Prepare and feed in the same way as mixture No. 1.

To prepare mash, the mixture is brewed with boiling water, cooled, cold water is added and boiled for several minutes. This is necessary because flaxseed, if kept wet for some time, can release toxic substances. If flaxseed or flaxseed products are fed dry, there is no such danger.

Feeding calves with milk and dry concentrates. The need to maintain a certain temperature of the chatterboxes, the time spent on preparing them, cleaning and washing dishes represent a certain inconvenience, therefore, in recent years, many farms have begun to use dry concentrated mixtures instead of chatterboxes. It is believed that feeding dry feed is much simpler, cheaper, and if calves get used to eating it, feeding young animals in the future will not present any difficulties.

The English Dairy Research Institute recommends, based on its 20 years of research, the following method of raising calves on dry concentrated feed.

During the first 3-4 weeks, calves are fed milk as indicated in the schedule (Table 10). At 3-4 weeks of age, as soon as the calves begin to eat hay and chew cud, place a handful of dry food in the bottom of the bucket after each milk feeding. Gradually, the amount of dry food is increased and from the 5th week it is given in a separate clean bucket or feeder in the morning and evening. The rate of whole milk is reduced accordingly, and by the end of the 8th or 9th week, milk feeding is stopped. Calves are given only good hay and dry concentrates with a small addition of green fodder or chopped root vegetables, depending on the season. As milk supply decreases, the daily water requirement increases; It is usually recommended to give up to 3.5-4.5 liters of water in the morning and evening. In the cold season, the water is slightly heated.

Some calves are more willing to eat dry concentrates, others prefer hay. If calves willingly eat dry mixture, the quantity is not rationed; if they do not eat it completely, the norm is temporarily reduced. The main goal when feeding dry concentrates is to bring the daily requirement to 1.3 kg as quickly as possible.

From the 12th week, the hay supply is increased and a small amount of cabbage leaves or root vegetables is added.

The feeding scheme is approximately as follows (Table 11).

Over 6 months, approximately the following amount of feed is consumed: milk 171-180 liters, dry concentrates 152.4 kg, hay 203.2 kg. If calves are required to grow better, the amount of dry concentrates can be increased to 1.8 kg per day earlier, and the hay rate can also be increased.

Proprietary follow-on mixtures are used as dry food.

Farmers prepare dry mixtures themselves in approximately the following proportions: flaxseed cake (crushed) 30-40%, fish meal 10-5%, flour and grain 60-55%.

At least half the amount of starchy food (or 20-30% of the mixture) is fed as flakes. Lime and phosphorus are often added to mixtures, since feed such as corn is poor in minerals. To increase the appetite of calves, especially at an early age, add a pinch of a strong-smelling product, such as anise, to the dry food.

Mixtures of the above composition contain approximately the following amounts of nutrients and phosphoric acid (Table 12).

In practice, excellent results were obtained with mixtures of the following composition (by weight):

In these mixtures, one part of flaxseed meal is often replaced by one part of ground flaxseed, and one or two parts of oats by one or two parts of corn flakes, corn or barley flour. Calves 5-6 months and older are no longer fed fish and meat and bone meal, since at this age they eat enough hay and other feed rich in minerals.

At the Cornwall Experimental Station, an experiment was carried out for 4 years on feeding calves with various mixtures. There were 72 calves under the experiment (of which 67 were Holstein-Friesian); Up to 20 different mixtures were tested.

The experimental design provided for a good milk intake rate in the first weeks, but the total amount of milk consumed was small; in particular, for Holstein-Friesian calves it did not exceed 160 kg. The following amount of whole milk (kg) was fed per day:

For the first four days, the calves were under their mother. From the 8th week, milk supply was stopped. The mixture was given from the beginning of the 3rd week, twice a day. Their norm reached 2.2 kg per day.

Hay (timothy with clover) was fed ad libitum from 4 weeks of age.

From 16 weeks of age, all young animals were transferred to feeding with one general mixture of the following composition (%):

The maximum amount of this mixture given to young animals aged 17-26 weeks was 1.8 kg.

Table 13 shows the percentage composition of the 11 mixtures that gave the best results.

The weight gain for 67 Holstein-Friesian calves receiving various mixtures was as follows (Table 14).

The most effective mixture was No. 10, containing 20% skim milk powder and about 4% animal feed, so it is recommended to farmers more than other mixtures.

Feeding calves with separated milk. Until 1940, on many dairies in England, especially in remote mountainous areas, milk was processed into butter and the skimmed and separated milk was used to feed calves. Since 1940, the demand for whole milk has increased and farmers began to sell it without processing, so the number of calves raised on skim milk has decreased significantly.

Despite the fact that separated milk is a very valuable source of easily digestible proteins and minerals, it is considered desirable that some nutrients and vitamins be added to it, at least when feeding young calves. Such substances are fish oil (at least in the early days of feeding separated milk), flaxseed and mixtures rich in carbohydrates, such as oats, barley and corn.

Daily norm fish oil ranges from 14 to 28 g (1-2 tablespoons). It is thoroughly mixed with warm separated milk and immediately given to the calf.

Flax-seed, ground or crushed, is very often added to skim milk, as it increases the fat content of the milk.

When using whole flaxseed, 900 g of the seed is soaked overnight in 18.5 liters of water, the next day boiled, stirring, for 20 minutes and 5 minutes before the end of boiling, add feed flour (225 g), thoroughly mixed in water, to preventing the laxative effect of the seed.

This mash does not spoil within a few days. Before feeding the calf, 0.6 liters of mash is added to 2.2 liters of separated milk.

Ground flaxseed is simply brewed with boiling water and stirred (for 1.1 kg of flour - 4.5 liters of water). Making mash from ground seeds is much faster than from whole seeds, and it tastes more pleasant. 0.6 liters of this mash is added to 2.2 liters of separated milk.

A slurry of flaxseed meal is sometimes added to separated milk. However, it does not enrich milk with fat to the same extent as flaxseed (typically contains 8-10% fat, and flaxseed - up to 36%).

Grain mixtures, used as additives to skimmed milk, consist of:

1) equal weight parts of crushed oats and crushed barley;

2) equal parts by weight of crushed barley and corn flakes or corn flour;

3) ground cereal grains with the addition of 10-15% peas or beans.

These mixtures are used if the daily requirement of separated milk for one calf is more than 4.5 liters. If this norm is less than 4.5 liters, other mixtures are prepared - with a higher protein content, namely from;

4) 4 parts of crushed oats, 3 parts of barley flour or corn flakes, 1.5 parts of bran and 1.5 parts of flaxseed cake;

5) 4 parts crushed oats or barley, 2 parts bean flour or follow-on mixture.

All these mixtures are introduced into the diet gradually, starting from the 5th week.

For the first 2 weeks, calves are fed whole milk and only from the 3rd week they begin to gradually replace it with separated milk. By the 5-6th week, the daily norm of separated milk is brought to 4.5-5, 5-6.5 liters (depending on the weight of the calf). Below is a feeding scheme for calves in the first 12 weeks of life when fed with separated milk (Table 15).

* (Plus 28 g of fish oil (two tablespoons).)

From the 3rd, and sometimes from the 5-6th month, feeding with separated milk is gradually stopped, increasing the supply of hay and dry concentrates accordingly. When separated milk is completely excluded from the diet, calves are transferred to feeding dry mixtures of concentrates.

Feeding calves with whey. Whey is also used to feed calves in England. Since whey is almost devoid of protein, various nutritional mixtures are added to it. Here is their composition (by weight):

Preference is given to mixtures No. 3 and 4, which include bean flour.

The feeding system when using whey is as follows:

Up to 2 weeks of age: colostrum and whole milk.

From 2 to 4 weeks: whole milk is gradually replaced with a mixture of whey and flour; the amount of mixture is gradually increased and the amount of milk reduced; at the age of 4 weeks, milk is completely excluded, the calf receives 4.5 liters of whey and 450 g of flour in the form of mash, heated to 36.6-37.7 °; As soon as the calf begins to eat dry food, flour is given separately.

From 4 to 5 weeks: 4.5 liters of whey, 450 g of flour and plenty of hay.

From 6 to 7 weeks: 4.5 l whey, 450 g flour, flaxseed meal or flaxseed meal mixture; coconut meal and corn gluten, first 60 g, and then up to 170 g per day immediately after morning feeding; hay - plenty.

From 8 to 12 weeks: whey rate increases to 6.75 l, flour - to 680 g; This is a complete diet; hay is given ad libitum.

From 13 to 14 weeks: the amount of flour mixture is gradually reduced to 450 g per day, the whey rate is the same; hay - plenty.

From 15 to 16 weeks: the amount of whey is reduced to 4.5 l, flour mixture - to 225 g per day; 170 g of cake (or cake mixture) is fed; hay - plenty.

At 17 weeks: in summer, calves are kept on pasture, in winter they are fed succulent feed and hay; Whey and flour mixtures can be omitted, then the rate of cake increases to 225 g.

If in the first days of whey feeding, digestive disorders (tympany) appear, add a little (14 g) of precipitate or chalk to the mash.

Use of powdered milk when feeding calves. In a number of farms in England, powdered whole and separated milk is used to feed calves. For 4.5 liters of water take 450 g of powdered milk.

For calves aged 10-14 days, whole milk powder replaces a quarter of the norm of whole milk, and by 3-4 weeks fresh whole milk is completely replaced with powder milk. When feeding powdered separated milk, good quality fish oil is added to it (28 g per 4.5 liters of diluted milk). From 8 weeks of age, calves are usually transferred to flour and cake dry mixtures, hay and water. The British believe that dairy heifers can be fed only 90 liters of whole fresh milk and 11.7 kg of separated powder before switching to dry feed.

Feeding of calves raised for meat by suckling method. In many farms, especially for meat production, calves are raised by suckling for up to 4-6, and sometimes up to 7-8 months. In some herds, cows specially selected for this purpose feed 3-4 calves at a time, and feed 10-12 calves per year. It is considered very important to accustom the calf to dry food in a timely manner so that when the suckling stops, it does not lose weight. In addition to high-quality hay and silage (or one of the two), the diet includes follow-on concentrate mixtures or any of the previously described mixtures. The rate of concentrates depends on the quality of hay or silage and the amount of weight gain. According to farmers, if calves suckle their mother for up to 6 months, there is no need to include fish or meat and bone meal in their diet.

New method of feeding calves. A new method of feeding calves, developed in Australia, using the “cafeteria”, is beginning to become widespread in England. In order to further popularize this method of drinking, it is demonstrated at agricultural exhibitions. We were introduced to the cafeteria at the London Agricultural Show.

The cafeteria is set up very simply. This is a regular 45L can with a large lid with nine special nipples. The can is supported from below by a cage of two steel circles mounted on straight iron legs.

Milk and milk substitutes are sucked out by calves through 9 special tubes reaching to the bottom of the can. Special nipples are put on the ends of the tubes coming out of the can lid.

This method is used with great success, as it is scientifically proven and convenient.

Joe Gedderson (University of Sydney) has established a definite link between stomach upset in calves and the rate at which milk is fed to them. When calves are fed a lot of milk during early weaning, it is difficult to avoid digestive upset if the milk is fed quickly. Gedderson was able to achieve slow feeding by using nipples with limited holes. Teats with a lumen of a size were used that made it possible for an ordinary calf to receive 4.5 liters of milk in 12 minutes.

Feeding calves milk using a "cafeteria"

When using a cafeteria, there is no need to heat the milk. Since the milk flows slowly, even a low temperature does not have a negative effect on digestion.

The cafeteria automatically provides each calf with approximately the same amount of feed. Cafes raised from the cafeteria have no need to suck each other's ears.

When using a cafeteria, there is no need to accustom calves to drinking, which sometimes lasts several days, and calves often lose weight during this period.

2-3 liters of milk are poured into the can, then the teat is placed in the calf's mouth, and the other end of the tube is lowered into the milk, and the calf immediately begins to suck.

The calf can be weaned from the cow only after it has received at least one colostrum from its mother. After weaning, the calf is placed in a group pen on clean bedding and fed colostrum or a mixture of milk and colostrum for the first week and whole milk for the second week.

Removing horns from calves. Removal of horns from cattle over one month of age by sawing or other means has been prohibited in England since 1919 and is only permitted if the animal is under general or local anesthesia during the operation. To prevent the growth of horns, it is recommended to treat the horn buds with potassium hydroxide (KOH). This operation is almost painless and quick. Caustic potash in England is sold in the form of a white stick.

In calves aged 2-5 days, the hair is cut off from the tops of the horns (in calves older than 9 days, such an operation is prohibited). The end of the potassium stick (or the top of the horn bud) is lightly moistened with water and rubbed vigorously over the top of each horn (but not near the horn!) for about 25 seconds. This treatment is carried out 2-4 times with an interval of 5 minutes. If after the first or subsequent treatment blood appears in the center of the horn, the horn is lightly rubbed with a stick again. The stick should not be wetted too much, as potassium can corrode the skin. For the same reason, the calf should not be allowed to wet its head for several days after the operation. It is necessary to ensure that the calf does not suckle the cow until the caustic potassium loses its toxic properties, since otherwise the calf may injure the udder.

During the operation, one person holds the calf while another handles the horns. The end of the stick, located in the hand, is wrapped in foil or other material that would protect the fingers from corrosion.

If sticks are purchased but not used, they are kept in a closed glass container in a dry place, since potassium is destroyed by contact with air.

Caustic soda sticks are also used instead of caustic potassium, although this material spreads easily and can injure the skin.

Caustic potassium and caustic soda are poisonous and should always be kept in a closed place.

Hello. I am a pensioner; I have lived in the city all my life. But need forced me, and I had to move to the countryside. And here, you know how: you can’t live without farming. I keep chickens, ducks, all in small quantities, just for myself. And this year I decided to make a big purchase. I bought a pregnant cow, because you can’t buy milk in the store, no pension is enough. And your own homemade one, it’s much better. Soon our Burenka will have a calf, but I don’t really know how to feed it. The neighbor will tell you, but I would like a specialist to tell me. How many months should you feed a calf with milk, how much milk should you give per day? Thanks in advance for your answers.

Evgenia Chikalina, Voronezh region, Kantemirovsky district

The most crucial period in life calf– the first 4-6 days after birth. Colostrum has special properties: it contains more dry nutrients, colostrum proteins are more complete and are better absorbed. Colostrum contains globulin protein, a carrier of immune bodies that protect the young body from diseases.

First portion of colostrum calf should be received no later than an hour and a half after birth. By this time calf dries out and begins to move. Before milking, the cow’s udder is washed with warm water, wiped with a dry towel and the first streams of milk are milked into a separate container, as they are heavily contaminated. During the first 2-3 weeks calf drink at least three times a day. For the first time, drink at least 0.6-0.8 liters and no more than 2 liters of colostrum. With every feeding The norm of colostrum can be increased and given ad libitum on the 3-4th day.

Colostrum is fed fresh, immediately after milking, strained. We must try to calf drank colostrum slowly, in small sips. If he drinks greedily, in large sips, colostrum ends up in the mesh and rumen, which in newborns do not yet participate in digestion. The food that gets there rots, which causes gastrointestinal diseases.

For normal digestion calf from the 4th-6th day of life, in the intervals between drinking colostrum, warm boiled water should be given ad libitum. In the first three weeks, he drinks no more than 500-700 g of water per day. The supply of drinking water must be uninterrupted, especially in the summer.

Colostrum retains its valuable properties for 5-7 days. Then it turns into milk.

From 5-7 days calf should be given minerals and vitamins feeding. As a mineral supplement, you can use a mixture of 15 g of ground chalk, 10 g of bone meal and 5 g of table salt. This is the norm for one calf in a day. The mineral fertilizer is located in a separate feeder in dry form. After calf will begin to eat hay and concentrates, 15 g of salt and chalk are added to them per day.

The daily norm of mineral fertilizer is fed 2-3 times.

From a week old calf They put soft, vitamin-rich hay in the feeder, which is changed every day. From the 5th-6th day of life calf in addition to colostrum, they begin to feed concentrates, initially in the form of oatmeal jelly.

Before feeding, the jelly is heated to 35° in hot water, fed with milk or in its pure form. From the 10th day, dry concentrates are gradually added to the feeder.