Feeding the calf up till weaning Is it time for a re-think? Dai Grove-White

Targets for dairy calf rearing. Mortality less than 5 %. Good growth: Weaning weight > 65 Kg (80 Kg ?) Weighs at least >120 Kg at 3 months. For service @13 -14 months Weight > 380 Kg Withers height > 125 cm Calves down at 24 months. What about subsequent health and production ??

massive area of financial loss

Metabolic programming “Early adaptations to a nutritional stress or stimulus permanently change the physiology and metabolism of the organism and continue to be expressed even in the absence of the stimulus/stress that initiated them…” (Patel & Srinivasan 2002). Barker “One thousand day hypothesis” pre-natal nutrition early life nutrition impact on later life risks CHD, Diabetes Type 2 “epigenetic switching”

Colostrum Brown Swiss calves fed 2 or 4 litres of colostrum at birth 2 litres colostrum 4 litres colostrum n 37 31 Av daily weight gain (Kg) 0.8 1.03 Age at conception (mths) 14 13.5 % culled be end of Lact 2 24.7% 12.9% Total milk yield in Lact1 & 2 16044 17072 Faber et al 2005 Prof Anim Scientist

Enhanced early life nutrition Impact on future milk yield “feeding 50% more milk than standard feed rate” Study Increased milk yield in Lact1 Folgdager & Krohn 1994 640 Bar Peled et al 1998 454 Foldager et al 1997 520 Ballard et al 2005 (@200dim) 700 Rincker et al 2006 500 Drackley et al 2007 840 Chester Jones et al 2009 820 From Van Amburgh et al 2011 Proc AABP Vol 44

What’s happening Correlation between milk yield and ADG pre-weaning feeding in 1st 5 weeks is key impact on early mammary development epigenetic switching Increased parenchymal growth Other mechanisms ?????

How much milk and for how long ? Traditional feeding regime “2 X 2 X 2” 2 litres each feed 2 feeds daily 2 month weaning Time for a rethink ? Feed more milk for longer ? 10 – 12 week weaning Acidified milk ad-lib ? Machine feeding ? FCE 3:1 on milk 10:1 on solids

Twice daily bucket feeding Designed to feed for maintenance only No provision for growth Encourage early transition to solid feedstuffs Promote rumen development Promote early weaning 50kg calves, Need, Maintenance ME 8 MJ/day Growth (1kg/day) 14 MJ/day Total ME = 22MJ/day Get, 4 litres milk replacer = 9 MJ/day 50% of dairy calves LOSE body weight in the first 7 days of life

KTP007995 Development of a novel pre-weaning strategy to improve the health, welfare and productivity of Holstein calves Gemma Curtis

Study design Control group (n = 50) Intervention group (n = 50) 2.5 L twice daily for 21 days then 3 litres twice daily Wean at 9 weeks Intervention group (n = 50) Ad lib milk from day one Wean at 12 weeks

Milk and concentrates intakes

Change in weight of calves during the first two weeks of life.

Weight change over 72 weeks

Trend for earlier conception in ad lib fed calves

Environmental considerations Temperature Humidity Interaction between them “cold and damp” V “cold and dry” “hot and humid” V hot and dry First 14 days of life “lower critical temperature” 150C but depends on humidity keeping warm or cool requires energy

The environment

Coping with heat & cold (increased energy demands) hot Feed more milk or MR 150 C + 15% 100 C + 27% 50 C + 40% 00 C + 50% environment warmth absence of draughts dry bed solid food intakes fall so.. increase milk or MR How much more? environment air flow shade dry bed

Other remedies for cold in first 14 days of life ? Adequate dry straw for “nesting” = + 40 C

Weaning of dairy calves. When calf is eating at least 1.5(?) Kg daily. When at least 8 weeks old. Weighing at least 65 Kg (?). Delay weaning ? - better growth ? Woodpark (University of Liverpool) Bucket reared @ 9 weeks – 80Kg Ad lib @ 12 weeks – 116 Kg

Peri-weaning scour syndrome Pasty scour, poor growth, bloat, pot - belly etc. No bugs yet implicated. dietary origin? rumen development pre - weaning. Look at feeding, management Pre & post weaning. Type of concentrate fed pellet, coarse-mix.

Few weeks after weaning ME ~ 11 MJ/Kg at weaning Lot of cake & relatively small forage intake ME ~ 9 MJ/Kg at puberty ME falls as consumes more forage Give forage ad lib Hay/straw Chopped ?

Feeding from weaning to service DMI ~ 3% at weaning & declines to 2% at calving Feeding from weaning to service Targets (Alex Bache) By 13 – 15 months 380 - 400 Kg > 125 cm height 0.91 Kg dwg from weaning till service ME ~ 9.0 – 10.5 MJ/Kg DM 15%CP AVOID FAT CS 2.5 – 3.0 Options Straw & cake Silage & cake TMR (dry) Grass in summer Rapid growth will NOT compromise future production – a myth ! (fat in udder)

Monitor calf & heifer growth if you don’t measure you don’t know! weight withers height

And finally….. What is the impact of maternal energy status in early pregnancy ?? when is the best time to serve a cow from the calf’ viewpoint ??