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Two-stage milk replacer feed system eliminates calf pneumonia on Preston dairy farm

A new calf feeding regime introduced on a Lancashire dairy farm has eliminated the incidence of pneumonia in heifer replacements.

John and Graham Robson produce milk from 220 cows on a robot milking system at Roe Farm, Preston.

Cows average 41L/day over 3.3 milkings, or 12,000 litres/cow/year, with milk supplied to Arla.

Newborn calves receive four litres of colostrum as soon as possible after birth and are initially reared in hutches.

They are on a twice-a-day feeding system and gradually transition from colostrum to Transformula on the fourth bucket feed, four litres a day at 14% concentration until day 14.

By day 21 their diet is Shine Heiferstart at 12.5% concentration, building up to six litres a day of Shine Heiferstart by three weeks until weaning at which point they are consuming 1.5kg pellets daily. This is achieved by feeding milk once a day, decreasing over seven days, then withdrawn totally by day 70.

Calves also receive fresh water, 17% crude protein calf starter pellet and hay from birth through to bulling.

Calves were previously fed a product included in their milk replacer designed to limit infectivity of cryptosporidia but despite this medicines needed to be used and calves were regularly being rehydrated.

However, that changed when Transformula transition milk replacer and Shine Heiferstart were introduced three years ago.

Graham says medicines are no longer needed.

“We bought a 50ml bottle six months ago and it has barely been touched which is impressive as 280 heifer and beef calves are reared all year round,’’ he explains.

“Calves thrive on Transformula and Heiferstart. We don’t lose calves and pneumonia is now unheard of.’’

Selina Field, of Bonanza Calf Nutrition, says getting transition feeding right is key in supporting the development of the neonatal calf’s immature immune system and its digestive system.

As is so with transition milk, a third of the nutrients in Transformula are for the calf, a third to support microbes and a third to stimulate the development of the calf’s digestive system. 

“For example, Transformula is made with colostrum fat and it contains many bioactive compounds which promote calf development,’’ says Selina.

“It also contains milk’s secret weapon, buttermilk, which increases the population of beneficial microbes and, as the gut is exposed to outside elements ingested by the calf, improving development reduces the ability of pathogens to cause inflammation and disease in the intestines.’’

Shine Heiferstart is made from calf-friendly skim milk and buttermilk and, as such, is the follow-on from Transformula as the high level of buttermilk helps the calf’s digestive system to manage the changeover to a ruminant diet.

“We used to think this was about the rumen only but the large intestine (LI) and the microbes there play a key role,’’ says Selina,

“Getting this wrong increases inflammation in the LI and pathogenic bacteria can then leak into the lungs causing more serious secondary pneumonia in calves.’’

The Robsons’ attention to their early calf development is clearly shown in the long term performance of the herd.

Heifers easily achieve bulling weight at 12 months and calve at around 24 months of age, some as early as 21 months at no detriment to the animal.

High performance is reflected in the daily average production of 41 L/cow and with cows in the herd for five lactations or more.

The Robsons take pride in having several 100-ton yielding cows in the herd, with one currently in her ninth lactation.

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