Chapter
5
The importance of colostrum to newborn calves
5.1 Current recommendations on colostrum feeding
5.1.2 Timeliness of colostrum feeding
5.1.3 Identifying and storing good-quality colostrum
5.2 Feeding colostrum to newborn calves
5.2.1 How to stomach tube a calf
5.2.2 Making best use of transition milk
5.2.3 Using stomach tubes to relieve abdominal pressure
5.3 Results from overseas research on colostrum feeding
5.3.1 Financial benefits from good colostrum feeding practices
5.4 Summarising good colostrum feeding management
6
Calf and heifer mortalities in the tropics
6.1 Difficulties with rearing replacement heifers in the tropics
6.2 Surveys of calf and heifer mortalities in the tropics
6.2.1 Poor adaptation of imported stock
6.2.2 The effect of grazing system on calf and heifer mortalities
6.3 Impact of extension programs on calf and heifer performance in the tropics
6.4 Results from other calf and heifer studies in the tropics
7
Facilities for calf and heifer rearing in the tropics
7.1.1 The five basic freedoms of livestock
7.1.2 The six basic elements of stock welfare
7.1.3 Other general principles of stock welfare
7.1.4 Problems of confinement
7.2.1 Selecting the site and shed layout
7.3 Physical comfort of calves
7.5 Feeding and handling facilities
7.5.2 Office and staff facilities
7.6 Cleaning and sanitising feeding equipment
7.6.1 Detergents and disinfectants
7.6.2 Using household bleach as a sanitiser
7.7 Calf sheds and children
8.1 Teaching calves to drink
8.2 The choice of liquid feeds
8.2.1 Colostrum and transition milk
8.3 The choice of feeding methods
8.3.1 Automatic calf feeders
8.4 How much milk to feed
8.4.1 Benefits of feeding large quantities of milk
8.4.2 Specific decisions for the tropics
8.6 Other aspects of milk rearing
8.6.4 Antibacterial residues
8.6.5 Feeding mastitic milk
8.6.8 Trying out a new system
8.7 Multiple suckling using dairy cows
8.7.1 Continuous suckling
8.7.2 Restricted suckling
8.7.3 Combining restricted suckling and hand or machine milking
8.7.4 Pros and cons of restricted suckling versus artificial rearing
9.1 The composition of milk replacers
9.2 Describing quality in milk replacers
9.2.1 BAMN guidelines for dry powder
9.2.2 BAMN guidelines for reconstituted liquid
9.3 The nutritive value of milk replacers
9.4 The relative cost of milk replacers
9.5 Using milk replacers to rear calves
9.5.1 The final word on milk replacers
10
Solid feeds for milk-fed calves
10.1 The nutritive value of solid feeds
10.2 Feed intake and calf performance pre-weaning
10.3 Feed intake and calf performance throughout the rearing period
10.4 Criteria for weaning calves
10.5 Tips to stimulate concentrate intakes
10.6 Formulating concentrates for weaned calves
10.6.1 Sourcing calf concentrates in Asia
11
Disease prevention in calves
11.1 Calf scours or neonatal diarrhoea
11.1.3 Controlling scours through management
11.2 Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases
11.3 Pulpy kidney and other Clostridial diseases
11.4 Internal parasites and their control
11.6 Other diseases in calves
11.6.3 Grain poisoning or acidosis
11.6.4 Navel-ill and joint-ill
11.6.6 External parasites
11.7 Disbudding and dehorning calves
11.7.1 Using caustic potash
11.7.2 Using flexile collodion solution
11.7.3 Using a hot iron (electrical or charcoal)
11.7.4 Using a rubber ring (elastrator)
11.7.5 Using a scoop dehorner
11.8 Calf management and disease
11.8.1 Vaccinate and rest easy
11.9 How to recognise sick calves
11.9.2 Keep records to help identify problems
11.10 What should you do with sick calves?
11.10.1 Assisting the veterinarian
11.10.2 Their long-term future
11.10.3 Overuse of antibiotics
11.11 Maintaining a healthy calf shed
11.11.1 Responsible drug handling
11.11.2 Biosecurity when purchasing new stock
11.11.3 Animal and human health
12
Communicating with the calf
12.1 Signals to watch for
12.2 Changes in normal calf behaviour symptomatic of stress
12.3 The many types of calf scours
12.4 Visual changes in calves symptomatic of stress
12.5 Understand how calves react to people
12.6 Communicate with your calf rearer too!
12.6.1 Developing standard operating procedures
12.7 Contract calf rearing
12.8 Codes of animal welfare for calves
12.8.3 Management practices
12.8.4 Transportation of calves
13
Post-weaning management of dairy heifers
13.1 On-farm rearing of replacement dairy heifers
13.2 Benefits of heavier heifers
13.3 Targets for growing heifers
13.3.1 Target pre-calving live weights
13.3.2 Target in-calf live weights
13.3.3 Target growth rates
13.3.4 Target chest girths and wither heights
13.3.5 Target first lactation milk yields
13.3.6 Age of teeth eruption
13.4 Feeding heifers to achieve target live weights
13.4.1 Grazing versus shedding of growing heifers
13.5 Contract heifer rearing
13.6 Using dairy stock for beef production
14
Mating and calving management of dairy heifers
14.1 Mating replacement heifers
14.2.1 Bull management for natural mating
14.3 Artificial insemination
14.3.1 Managing artificial insemination
14.3.2 Examples of heat synchronisation
14.3.4 Targets for heifer mating programs
14.4 Calving down replacement heifers
14.4.1 The actual birth process
14.4.2 Monitoring the actual birth process
14.4.3 Assisting the birth process
14.4.4 Caring for the newborn calf
14.4.5 Cold stress and the newborn calf
14.4.6 The 10-point plan for managing the birth process
15
The business of calf and heifer rearing
15.1 Costing different feeds for calf rearing
15.1.1 Feed costs associated with calf rearing in Malaysia
15.1.2 A case study of different milk-rearing systems in Vietnam
15.2 Other costs for calf and heifer rearing
15.2.1 The high cost of diseases in calves
15.3 The hidden costs of poor heifer rearing
15.4 Measures of lifetime productivity on small holder dairy farms
15.4.1 Scenario 1. Assuming zero mortality and culling
15.4.2 Scenario 2. After taking into account the impacts of mortality and culling
16
Assessing current calf- and heifer-rearing practices
16.1 Checklists for assessing the system
16.1.1 Peri-natal (pre-calving and first 24 hr)
16.1.2 Pre-weaning feeding management
16.1.3 Pre-weaning herd and health management
16.1.5 Weaning to first calving
16.2 Grading farmer skills in young stock management
16.2.1 Objective criteria for grading skills
16.2.2 Subjective criteria for grading skills
16.3 A shortlist of high-priority calf and heifer practices
17
Conducting training programs on improved young stock management
17.1 Planning farmer workshops
17.1.1 Workshop objectives
17.1.2 Developing a workshop program
17.1.3 Practical issues when planning the workshop program
17.1.4 Associated farm visits
17.2 CalfTrack: calf management training system
17.2.1 Newborn calf records
17.2.2 Animal health records
17.3 Additional training material on the internet
17.3.1 Attica Veterinary Association
17.3.2 US Dairy Calf and Heifer Association
17.3.3 Calf and Heifer Adviser
18
Best management practices for rearing young stock
18.1 What makes a good calf-rearing system?
18.1.3 First colostrum feeding management
18.1.6 Relationship of rearer to farm owner
18.1.7 Time of feeding roughage
18.1.8 Feeding mastitic or antibiotic milk
18.1.9 Feeding whole milk to calves
18.2 Monitoring your calf- and heifer-rearing system
18.2.1 Pre-calving (heifer’s dams)
18.2.2 Post-calving (heifer’s dams)
18.3 What is best management practice and quality assurance?
18.3.1 Planning general herd and heifer management
18.3.2 Planning heifer supply programs
18.3.3 Planning heifer care from birth to weaning
18.3.4 Planning heifer care from weaning to mating
18.3.5 Planning heifer mating programs
18.3.6 Planning heifer care from mating to calving
18.4 Ensuring the relevance of these BMPs to tropical small holder dairy farmers
Appendix 1: John Moran’s golden rules of calf and heifer rearing
Appendix 2: Conversion of units of measurements
Appendix 3: Currency converter for South and East Asia
Appendix 4: Workshop expectation and evaluation forms
Rearing Young Stock on Tropical Dairy Farms in Asia
Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.
