Water accounts for 70–75 per cent of a calf’s body weight and calves will perform best with fresh drinking water available to them from birth. Why is water important for calves? Water is fundamentally important to rumen development and optimal growth of young calves. It is required to support the rumen microbial population and promote […]
At birth, the rumen is small, undeveloped and does not contribute to digestion. The rumen needs to develop before it can digest forages. The intake of concentrate and water are the most important factors for rumen development. Rumen development If stimulated early on, a calf’s rumen can start to function from as early as five […]
Once temperatures fall below 10°c, most calves are under cold stress. This Lower Critical Temperature (LCT) is the benchmark which, when colder than, all calves start to use extra energy to maintain their body temperature. Calves less than 3 weeks old have an LCT of 20°c! Studies indicate that for each 5°c drop below their […]
Advantages of using Milk Replacers Lower risk of disease: Feeding milk replacers prevents the transfer of diseases from cow to calf e.g. Johnes Risk Easier to digest: The ingredients and composition are specially designed with the digestive system of the calf in mind. Milk replacers have more balanced fat than whole milk, and the fat […]
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