In the last decade, better feed efficiency, optimal growth and higher future milk production have been the sought-after goals in calf nutrition. Recent on-farm nutrition trials are beginning to demonstrate the effects of a higher plane of nutrition within the first 12 weeks of life.

Paying attention to the calf from the start can be the best dairy practice when thinking about the future of your operation. After calving, it is time to route that time and attention towards the health of the baby calf. Once a calf is born, they often do not get enough attention, end up getting sick, grow poorly or even die. Losing a Holstein heifer calf can cost $300, which during this current economic climate can leave some serious implications on the profitability of any dairy operation.

About 10 years ago in a research trial, calves were fed a 29 percent CP, 19 percent fat milk replacer powder at different rates. Calves were not fed starter. The trial ended when calves reached 230 pounds of bodyweight and the researchers observed that the calves responded to feeding rate with rather dramatic weight gains and efficiency of gain. This research from Cornell University challenged the way that calves had been fed in the U.S. for decades. Subsequent research from the University of Illinois showed that calves fed milk replacer (again no starter was fed) respond to protein in the diet but that the response is also dependent upon the amount of energy consumed by the calves.

Every dairy producer knows the importance of feeding enough high-quality colostrum to newborn dairy calves. However, getting the right amount of clean colostrum into the calf as early as possible can be a real challenge. Limited labor resources, less-than-optimal facilities or lack of training often make the tasks of managing newborns one of the lower priorities on the dairy farm. This is particularly true when newborns are bull calves. However, the long-term implications of poor colostrum management are profound. Calves that receive adequate passive immunity are healthier, have less scours, grow faster and make more milk when they enter the herd compared to calves that receive inadequate passive immunity. It’s important to the calf to do colostrum “right.”

Calf rearing involves many processes. Caring for newborn calves, managing colostrum, feeding, dehorning preweaned calves are all examples. Each process could have a protocol – a written description of the process. Each protocol consists of steps in the order in which they should be done. And each step describes an action – a clear description including criteria that define the action in measurable terms.

This article was #3 in PDmag's Top 5 most-well read New Technology articles in 2010. Summary: Disposable, yet rugged, Perfect Udder colostrum bags created by Dairy Tech, Inc. are 3-quart bags that have a special aluminum layer, which allows for incredible heat transfer. The bags are designed so that raw colostrum can be placed inside using a funnel or specially designed milk pail and then pasteurized, stored, frozen, reheated and fed without ever being at risk for recontamination. An alternative usage is to batch pasteurize the colostrum and fill the bags from the pasteurizer before storing. To take the system a step further, a nipple and esophageal feeding system attach directly to the colostrum bag so that the colostrum could go from the pasteurizer to the calf without ever having to enter another vessel. The kits are sold as 50- and 100-bag count and come with five or 10 nipple assemblies respectively, and also include the esophageal feeder. Because this article was so popular, we asked Rick Dumm of Dairy Tech Inc. some follow-up questions:

Originally published: March 1, 2011, in Progressive Dairyman magazine, this article has received more than 4,300 pageviews, with a majority of the online traffic coming from a Google search for “functional proteins.” to jump to the article. In this article, Jim Quigley explained that proteins that have biological activity can be referred to as functional proteins. Immunoglobulins found in colostrum are an example of beneficial functional proteins.