by Given Hamanungu

A calf is tomorrow’s cow. From the health point of view, the life of a bovine is divided into two parts: the first 24 hours, and the rest.

The first 24 hours of a calf’s life are so important that it will have a strong bearing on the rest of its life. A calf not provided adequate care for in the first 24 hours may succumb to diseases or will always remain weak and an underperformer. Even though good genetic potential and an excellent environment are provided, it can be meaningless if the calf’s first golden hour is not taken care of. Mistakes made during its first hours cannot be corrected. The calf will be living with consequences and it will struggle to perform to the expected genetic performance standard.

For the curious to know, the most dangerous condition during the golden hour of the calf is diarrhoea – the most obvious reason to lose the calf. Good management is important and treatment must be continuously enforced until the cause is cured. Keeping this in mind, the following points are important to be considered:

• Care of newborn calf
• Calf diarrhoea and its management

The first hour after calving is the most critical period in the entire life of a newborn calf where the following should be done:

• Clean the nostrils and mouth. It helps the calf to breathe better and help prevent future breathing problems.
• Allow the mother to lick the calf clean. It promotes circulation within the calf’s body and prepares the calf to stand up and walk.
• Tie the navel cord with a thread at a length of around 50 mm from the base and cut the remaining cord with a clean instrument.
• Dip the navel (a simple smearing will not serve the purpose) in seven percent or higher tincture of iodine solution and repeat after 12 hours. (Do not use teat dip or weaker iodine solutions). A poorly maintained navel is the gateway to serious infections.

A newborn calf should be given one litre of colostrum within the first two hours after birth if it fails to suck from its dam and one to two litres (based on calf size) within 12 hours of birth. Many calves do not get adequate amounts of colostrum from their dams within the first few hours of life, and thus may not receive adequate immunity. Feeding colostrum after 24 hours of birth may not help the calf to ward off infections. A calf must receive adequate colostrum to protect it from diseases for the first three months of its life. Colostrum is the calf’s “passport to life”. Hand-feeding new-born calves is therefore recommended so that the farmer is sure about the amount of colostrum an individual calf receives.

When the animal is three months old, contact the veterinarian for vaccination.

Tiger Animal Feeds’ Calf Starter pellets (18%)

Calf Starter pellets is a blend of high-quality concentrate, short fibre, micro and macro minerals, as well as vitamins that provide in all the calf’s nutrient requirements.

Feeding recommendations:

• It should be fed ad libitum until weaning, with clean and fresh water.
• Restrict water intake for 20 minutes after feeding of milk.
• Offer small quantities of good quality hay, post weaning, ad libitum.

Feed intake:

Expected feed intake from birth to 21 weeks will be 2 kg per day for Holsteins and 1,5 kg per day for Jerseys.

For exquisite and professional Tiger Feeds advice and service, contact Rowena Blanco at +260-96-7991-847 or +260-96-7790-404 or e-mail rowena@tigerfeeds.com.zm. Given Hamanungu is the Technical Advisor at Tiger Animal Feeds and can be contacted at givenhams@gmail.com.