What Happens in the First 60 Days Affects Later Lactation Performance

Looking at that wet, straw-covered newborn heifer calf sparks recollections of the work that went into getting her to this point. Managing the cow through only a four-event lactation (freshening, breeding, pregnancy and dry off) and navigating her from dry off to calving takes a lot of work. And that doesn’t even take into account the generations of breeding decisions to build the genetics inside that calf.

The reality is the work has just begun. It will take more work to get her from day one to her first day in the parlor and fully express the genetics she’s carrying. How you manage these first few days—and the next 60 or so—will play a significant role in how closely she reaches her full potential.

Respiratory challenges

There are a number of challenges that can derail a calf, and one of the primary ones is Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). It’s the number two killer of pre-weaned calves and the primary cause of mortality in weaned calves. If that calf is going to reach her potential, she will need a clean and strong respiratory tract to get there.

When it comes to preventing BRD we need to focus on building immunity in the calf and reducing disease pressure from the environment in order to get better at prevention over time.

While BRD prevention takes a multi-faceted approach, one key element is building the immune system of the calf to be able to withstand challenges from BRD-causing organisms. A sound nutrition program can help the calf develop a strong immune system, and that starts with colostrum.

Start with colostrum

The development and administration of high-quality colostrum starts inside the cow with a vaccination program that helps the cow create colostrum with higher quantities of antigens that can be passed on to the calf to help build passive immunity. Research studies have shown that calves had reduced incidence of BRD when fed colostrum from cows vaccinated with BRD-causing pathogens in the dry period.

Once the calf is born, harvesting that high quality colostrum from the cow and getting it into the calf as quickly and cleanly as possible is critically important. Then we need to make sure the calf gets enough volume of quality colostrum in the first few hours and using transition milk for a few days that takes her to regular whole milk or milk replacer.

Various research studies have shown that providing calves with adequate levels of high-quality colostrum not only pays dividends in healthier, more productive calves but also more productive cows as well. In one University of Arizona study two groups of heifers were fed either two or four liters of colostrum within the first hour of birth. Vet costs were doubled for the two-liter group, and average daily gain was significantly lower in that group as well. When the calves reached the milking parlor, the group fed four liters of colostrum produced significantly more milk in their first and second lactations compared to calves fed the lower amounts.

Once the colostrum regimen is complete the nutrition program will be focused on growth of the calf and development of key internal systems, including development of the rumen, lungs and entire immune system. This includes augmenting the liquid portion of the diet as well as the starter with ingredients that help build a stronger immune system so she can grow and develop uninhibited by disease challenges.

Better performance in the parlor

Even after colostrum feeding, recent research has shown that continuing heifer development with a targeted calf nutrition program also pays dividends later in life. More than 300 Jersey calves on a California dairy were assigned to two treatment groups. One group was fed a starter ration with a postbiotic immune support product. The other group was fed that same postbiotic in the starter but also included a water-soluble version in the whole milk.

Calves were raised in hutches until 60 days of age when they were weaned and transitioned to group pens until 120 days, then moved to an outside ranch facility. All health events were recorded up until 120 days and weights were recorded at 60 and 120 days. Heifers were at the heifer ranch until pre-calving when they were brought back to calve at their original facility. Heifers were tracked to be able to collect production information two years later. Milk yield was measured daily and a 7-day average was used for lactation analysis on DairyComp 305. Research results showed that calves fed the additional postbiotic in the milk expressed:

• 5 pounds greater weight at 120 days
• 25% lower risk of developing a first case of pneumonia
• 8.9 pounds more milk at 10 weeks of lactation

In addition to a strong nutrition program, the calves need to be born and raised in an environment that is as clean and dry as possible. That starts with a clean, dry calving area that transitions to a disinfected housing area that is also clean, dry and well-ventilated. Ammonia in the housing area can challenge lung function, so it’s important to keep air moving around the calf to ensure clean air to breath.

While nutrition is important to building a calf’s immune system, a sound vaccination program is important as well. Producers should work with their veterinarian to develop sound vaccination protocols and ensure they are updated annually to reflect any changes to the environment or pathogen population.

It takes a village to raise a healthy calf from birth, through weaning and heifer development so it reaches optimal size and weight to accomplish profitable production once she reaches the parlor. A sound nutrition program is a cornerstone to that success.  Investing in her future pays you back in your future.