Cattle : Birth to Weaning

Question 1

7 C’s of Calf Care

Answer 1

• calories
• colustrum
• comfort
• cost
• cleanliness
• cosistency
• confidence

Question 2

Preweaning events have a significant impact on lifetime performance

Answer 2

• delivery score (1-3)
• age at weaning
• DM intake at weaning
• age that grain DMI first reached 0.91kg/d
• days ill
• days treated
• age at first calving
• BW at first calving

Question 3

4 M’s

Answer 3

Manage 🡢 change
Maintain 🡢 mucosal health
Maximize 🡢 health defense
Mature 🡢 rumen

Question 4

Stress

Answer 4

• mechanical
• metabolic
• microbial
• mental
• mucosal

Question 5

Calories

Answer 5

continual, controlled weight gain is paramount

0.5kg/day early life
0.8kg/day average

🡩 feeding beneficial to calf
- common 10% BWt
- ad lib > 20% BWt
- think DM content
- manage 🡩 with care

Question 6

in cold weather, nutrient demands in pre-weaned ruminants can 🡩 by:

Answer 6

50%

🡩 volume
🡩 freq
🡩 conc.
🡩 energy content

Question 7

Mucosal health depends

Answer 7

• epithelial integrity
• immune regulation
• balanced microbiome

Question 8

Systemic microbial defense has:

Answer 8

passive component 🡢 defense from colostrum

active component 🡢 defense from calf immune system

Question 9

Colostrum

Answer 9

multifaceted nutritional resource:
- immunity
- nutrients
- microbes

colostral microbial communities contribute to GI microbiome of perinate

4Q:
- quality 🡢 measure
- quantity 🡢 15% BWt
- quickly 🡢 asap + repeat
- qleanly 🡢 unsanitary colostrum 🡩 GI + resp dz

esophageal feeders are your friend

Question 10

Rumen Development

Answer 10

weaning cannot successfully take place before rumen is developed

4 compnents:
- size + contraction 🡢 forage
- chemistry + digestion 🡢 grain
- papillae + absorption 🡢 grain
- microbes (protists + bacteria) + digestion 🡢 water + grain

starter grain composition is essential for rumen papillae development

Question 11

Practical Implications of Feed Components

Answer 11

Concentrates:
- palatability
- coarse texture/pellet
- starter + 7.5% hay mix?
- protein + En
- 3-5d onwards FC
- measure intake

Water:
- early 🡢 post-colostrum
- fresh, adlib
- measure intake

Milk:
- source
- quantity

Forage:
- within week of weaning
- hay or straw

Question 12

Measuring GI Health

Answer 12

GI Development
- rumination
- rumen pH

Appetite
- milk
- pattern of grain intake

Mucosal immunity
- disease patterns

Feces
- consistency