How Many Calves Can a Cow Have in a Lifetime

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Dairy Guidelines Raising Calves

Mississippi State Academy

Selecting Sires for Improved Calves

Dogie rise actually begins with the breeding procedure. The genetic inheritance of the calf is established when the heifer or cow is bred. The sire and the dam each contribute fifty percent to the calf's genetic inheritance. Since you already have the heifer or cow, you lot tin practise fiddling to change this one-half of the dogie's genetic makeup. The greatest effect on inheritance volition come from the sire yous select. Selecting bulls with high PTA'southward for product and blazon offers the greatest opportunity for improvement in a herd.

Care at Calving

When calving signs announced, the cow should be placed in a clean, dry expanse. After the water handbag (amnion) appears, normal delivery takes place within half dozen hours. Subsequently the dogie's front end feet appear, commitment should follow in nigh ane 60 minutes.

Observe the moo-cow often but leave her alone unless assist is truly necessary. If the beast needs assistance at calving, you should accept properly sterilized equipment bachelor: a bucket, obstetrical pulling chains, lather, aplenty lubricant, and disinfectant solutions. Exist sure the arms and hands of the person assisting are clean and sanitized and that the vulva and surrounding surface area of the animal are clean and sanitized. Correcting whatever abnormal position of the calf and using generous lubrication are two vital procedures for assisting in dogie delivery.

Intendance of Calf from Birth through Weaning

Immediately after nascence, identify the dogie by ear tag or cervix strap. Dip the navel cord in a strong iodine solution the post-obit mean solar day. This do kills existing organisms on the cord and decreases the risk of complications from "navel ill."

General Recommendations

Tattoo (green) both ears. Be conscientious to permit for a Brucellosis vaccination tattoo in the right ear.
Dehorn the calf in the first ten days.
Weigh the dogie and tape the weight in a calf book. A heart girth tape is acceptable to employ in determining weight. Record tape measurements in inches if a special weight tape are non available.
Make a record card for the dogie (tattoo, sire, dam, birth appointment, and nativity weight.) Other information such every bit colostrum quality, etc., as well tin be recorded.

Housing

Identify the calf in an private pen. Exterior portable pens are the most successful under Mississippi atmospheric condition. Dogie pens should be clean, dry, and well-bedded. Utilise a clean area, and identify calves in the pen by chronological age. Pens should be moved uphill periodically and rebedded. Calf barns should be well-ventilated and kept free of drafts. Calves should e'er exist kept in divide pens, where they are unable to impact each other.

Remember, if the calf raiser is unwilling to lie down in the pen, and then it requires cleaning and

rebedding. Information on constructing dogie pens and hutches can be obtained from the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at Mississippi State University.

Recommended Feeding Practices

Always follow strict sanitation practices. Thoroughly clean and sanitize buckets and nipple bottles afterward each use.
Arrange calves in chronological gild by birth dates. Be careful to feed sick calves last to minimize the spread of disease.
Clean, fresh water should be provided at all times. Enquiry has shown that preweaning weight gains are higher and the incidence of scours is lower when calves are given costless-choice h2o.

Importance of Colostrum Feeding

The importance of colostrum feeding cannot be overemphasized. A dogie is born essentially without whatsoever amnesty (resistance) to infection and disease. Newborn calves acquire both immunity against many diseases likewise as certain minerals and vitamins from the cow's offset milk, colostrum. Antibodies (immunoglobulins) in the colostrum are absorbed intact through the abdominal wall during the first 24 hours of life, with absorption beginning to decline well-nigh two hours after nativity. Endeavor to give the calf its outset colostrum as presently equally possible after calving.

Colostrum-Feeding Suggestions

Practise not permit nursing. Feeding with a bottle lets you measure out the corporeality of colostrum fed and allows you to check for antibody content. This can exist done past using a relatively depression-cost colostrometer. Good-quality colostrum volition have a reading of at least 75 to 100 mg/dl.

Calves should be given colostrum immediately afterward nascency. Tube feeding is recommended for calves unable to suck a bottle. Each calf should be given i 1/2 to 2 gallons in the kickoff 24 hours of its life. A suggested schedule is 2 quarts inside 4 hours of birth, ii more quarts within 12 hours of birth, and ii more past 24 hours of birth.

Since most cows produce more colostrum than their calves need, freeze the residual to save for the occasional calves that need higher quality colostrum than their dams tin can produce. Freeze only colostrum that has a concentration of 75 to 100 mg/dl or higher. 2-quart containers are convenient, and they should be labeled with the date and concentration of drove.

Liquid Feeding

Actress colostrum and discarded milk from antibiotic-treated cows can exist used to feed calves.

The amount of liquid (milk or replacer) you feed daily should be 8 to 10 per centum of the trunk weight. Many calves perform well when fed all their milk at ane feeding a day. In one case-per-day feeding saves time in feeding and washing nurse buckets.

Suggested Milk Feeding Schedule:

Milk replacers are acceptable to apply if they are of skilful quality. The label on milk replacer bags volition display the information needed to appraise ingredients and nutritional value.

Generally, milk replacers loftier in milk by-products and depression in plant by-products are higher in quality. Replacers should be at least 20 pct protein, not less than 12 percent fatty, and less than 1 percent cobweb. Mixing should be done according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Calf operation data collected on your farm will help yous in evaluating the milk replacer used.

Dry Feeding

Offer the calf a special starter feed when you identify the calf in a pen. Feed just a small amount, and increment the rate of feeding every bit the calf'due south appetite increases. Alter feed daily, and feed what's refused to older calves.

A practiced calf starter (with about 20 per centum crude poly peptide) includes:

Coarsely basis corn 50 lb
Crushed or rolled oats 15 lbSoybean meal – 48% 25 lb
Stale molasses 7 lb
Limestone 2 lb
Dicalcium phosphate 1 lb
Trace mineralized salt 0.5 lb

Besides add these supplements:

Vitamin A 3,000 IU per lb starter
Vitamin D 500 IU per lb starter
Vitamin E xv IU per lb starter
Antibiotic 20 milligrams of terramycin or aureomycin per lb starter

Calves can be weaned when consuming 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of starter daily. Provide small amounts of high-quality grass hay, starting at the time the dogie is eating ii pounds of starter per 24-hour interval.

Scours Handling

At the first sign of scours, begin electrolyte therapy. A commercially bachelor powder mixed with water is as price effective as good homemade products. If the calf is vivid and alert, there is little do good to withholding milk. Feed these calves milk and electrolytes separately. In weak or depressed calves that volition nonetheless suck, requite just electrolytes equivalent to 10 percent of body weight the first 24-hour interval. The 2nd day, begin milk at 5 pct of body weight in improver to electrolytes, and and so gradually increment the milk back to normal feeding amounts over the next 2 to 3 days.

Antibiotics may be indicated with scours, but many forms of scours are caused by viruses or other types of microorganisms. Consult your veterinarian for guidance on the employ of antibiotics in scouring calves.

Care of Calves later Weaning

Allow the calf to eat upwardly to v pounds per day of calf starter and all the hay it volition eat. Starter is usually fed upward to 3 months. After 3 months, you tin utilise a good grower ration. Following is a good calf grower mixture (containing about 18 pct crude protein):

Coarsely footing corn 55 lb
Crushed or rolled oats xv lb
Soybean meal – 48% 20 lb
Dried molasses 7 lb
Limestone 2 lb
Dicalcium phosphate 1 lb
Trace mineralized table salt 0.five lb

Too adds Vitamin A: 2,000 IU per pound of grower, Vitamin D: 400 IU per pound of grower, and Vitamin E: x IU per pound of grower. Feed the grower mixture up to vi months, and then switch to herd concentrate.

Grouping of Calves

The first ii weeks after weaning, calves should remain alone. After this period, they may be grouped. Grouping calves generally prevents sucking.

Earlier grouping, worm them with a skilful dewormer and vaccinate (PI3, IBR, blackleg, and malignant edema). Other things to do before group:

Remove extra teats.
Take body weight.
Be sure identification is nevertheless in ear.
Record all vaccinations and body weights.

Feeding subsequently Grouping

From grouping to 6 months, feed v pounds of calf grower daily and free-choice, high-quality hay. You may substitute pasture when it is available. From 6 months to one year, feed 0-vii pounds of herd concentrate daily; limit fed-silage, greenchop, or complimentary-choice hay. You may substitute pasture when it is available. From 1 yr to 2 months before freshening, feed 0-vii pounds of herd concentrate daily, depending on quality of forage available. All heifers should go on to grow and gain weight just should not get overly fatty.

Disease Prevention and Conditioning

Observing calves at least twice daily is extremely important. Detecting sickness early and giving prompt handling cannot exist overemphasized. Heifers should be checked daily for eye, foot, and sucking problems and other abnormalities. Firsthand attending to a problem is of import. At no time should heifers be placed with mature cows until 30 to lx days before calving.

Vaccination and Deworming Schedule for Calves

Feed ionophores for coccidia control up to 20 months quondam.
Deworm at ane month after weaning and vaccinate for IBR, PI3, and blackleg.

◦ v months onetime — Brucellosis vaccination
◦ 7-way clostridium
◦ IBR
◦ PI-3
◦ BVD – killed vaccine
◦ BRSV
◦ 5-way Lepto
◦ Deworm
◦ Height and weight measurements

six months quondam — Repeat all vaccinations that used killed vaccines.

DO NOT REPEAT BRUCELLOSIS VACCINATION.

8 months one-time — Deworm
12-xiii months old (prebreeding) or 45 days prebreeding

◦ IBR – killed vaccine
◦ PI-three – killed vaccine
◦ BVD – killed vaccine
◦ BRSV – killed vaccine
◦ five-way Lepto
◦ Deworm
◦ Height and weight measurements

14-15 months — Breeding
xv months erstwhile — Deworm

◦ Height and weight measurements
◦ Magnet to meaning heifers

18 months old — Deworm

◦ Height and weight measurements
◦ IBR – killed vaccine
◦ PI-iii – killed vaccine
◦ BVD – killed vaccine
◦ BRSV – killed vaccine
◦ 5-manner Lepto

24-25 months onetime (calving) — Height and weight measurements

Note: Modified alive vaccines for IBR and BVD can be used, but consult your veterinarian for schedules and precautions.

External Parasites

External parasites (flies and lice) should be controlled on a regular basis (approximately at 10-day intervals) using an approved dairy cattle insecticide. This practice is of import for proficient operation and sound udders. The use of Vigilante Boluses for fly command in late March and again in early on July is a good command mensurate in an external parasite control programme.

Growth Chart

Growth rates earlier puberty have been shown to exist related to the time to come productive life of cows. Inadequate or excessive growth rates are not economical. Optimum growth rates are not the same as maximum growth rates. Extensive research has established optimal growth rates for about breeds of dairy cattle. The majority of dairy cattle in Mississippi are either Holstein or Jersey; the charts below illustrate optimal growth rates for these breeds. Information on other breeds can be obtained from the Department of Animate being and Dairy Sciences at Mississippi Land University.

Range of Recommended Holstein Heifer Weights and Heights:

Range of Recommended Bailiwick of jersey Heifer Weights and Heights:

Charts compiled from Standards of Weight and Height for Holstein Heifers, Heinrichs, A.J. and Chiliad.L. Hargrove, Journal of Dairy Science lxx:653-660.

Revised by Dr. Reuben Moore, Extension Dairy Specialist, Department of Animate being and Dairy Sciences; Dr. Bruce Clark, Associate Professor, Higher of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Jim Tomlinson, Nutritionist, Department of Brute and Dairy Sciences.

Mississippi Land Academy does not discriminate on the footing of race, colour, religion, national origin, sexual activity, age, inability, or veteran condition.

Information Sheet 1011

Extension Service of Mississippi State Academy, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May viii and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brownish, Manager

This certificate may exist copied and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State Academy Extension Service.

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