Calf Feeding Systems

Individual Feeding

Feeding calves individually is most commonly recommended. It is easier to see the signs of sickness on a calf, and there is no competition amongst the animals for feed. It also reduces the chance of spreading disease, as there is no nose–to–nose contact.

Feeding Calves More Milk: A Practical Approach

Calories

Although one of the challenges of feeding twice daily is the increased labour, you are at an advantage by knowing right away if a calf didn’t drink or could be sick. it is also easier to access the animals to take their temperature to determine if they have a fever. Individual feeding is by far more labour intensive but morbidity and mortality rates amongst the calves are lower compared to other feeding methods.

Group Feeding

Group feeding has become more popular in recent years because of the time and labour savings when feeding calves. Calves are social animals and group feeding allows them to interact more with each other.

Two methods that are popular are automatic calf feeders and the Acidified Milk Program. The automatic calf feeder automatically mixes the milk replacer in .0.5 – 1.0 litre batches so the calf is always drinking warm, fresh milk. The machine works seven days a week, 365 days a year, with no labour required to mix the milk and feed the animals by hand. The other popular option is the Acidified Milk Program. Its methods of getting calves to drink milk vary greatly, but is has been very successful in getting calves to drink more milk.

Both of these options have been successful in producing healthier calves because calves consuming more milk. However, group feeding does have its challenges as it is harder to see the signs of sickness in a group. And in the event of a disease outbreak, it can spread more rapidly because of nose–to–nose contact between the animals.

Designing Good Environments and Management for Calves

 Cross-Sucking

Group Feeding Calves

Group Housing Calves, by Dan Weary.

Automatic calf feeders

The greatest advantage of automated calf feeders is reduction in labour. However, you must remember you are still dealing with live animals and calves still need to be visually checked twice daily. If the automatic feeder you are using is computer programmed you could have the same advantages as with individual feeding:

• Calves have access to a constant warm supply of milk in smaller amounts, as they would from the cow.
• You have control over feed intake of individual calves.
• Each calf’s consumption is recorded in the computer so you know exactly how much feed each animal is getting.
• The system generates a list of calves that aren’t drinking so you know which ones to watch.
• Weaning can be gradual process as the machine can be programmed to slowly wean calves off milk.

As with any machine, there is regular maintenance that needs to be performed. The automatic feeders should be cleaned daily and thoroughly checked over weekly. Make sure the machine is calibrated to the feed schedule you want, and is dropping the correct amount of powder. Calibrating the machine should be done weekly. The cost of the machine represents a significant start–up cost when adopting this system. Carefully enter the feed schedule into the system to avoid errors. And remember that computerized feeding will not compensate for poor barn design or bad ventilation.

Dual Benefits, Labour Savings and Better Calf Performance

To Auto Feed or Not To Auto Feed

Lely Calf Feeders

Forster Technik

Urban

 Urban Automatic Feeders

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Phone 519-425-0206

Ontario, Canada

Forster Technik Automatic Feeder

Contact: 

Jan Ziemerink 1-800-265-7863 ext 315

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Automated Feeding Ecomonics, Ontario Farmer Article by Jack Rodenberg 

Acidified Milk Feeding Program

Dr. Neil Anderson, a veterinarian with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), has done a lot of research into feeding calves on the Acidified Milk Feeding Program.

Using this program, calves have access to milk 24 hours a day, although it is not consistently warm as with the automated feeder. This allows them to drink more milk when they need more energy to compensate for colder temperature, leading generally to healthier calves. The milk only needs to be made every three days, but it does need to be stirred several times per day to prevent separation of milk and acid.

Calves should be raised in groups of 8 or less. As with any calves raised in–group setting, there is a higher risk of diarrhea and respiratory challenges, but their extra milk intake strengthens their immune systems, leaving them better able to cope with illness.

Weaning can be done either gradually or abruptly, although gradual weaning is the preferred method. One of the biggest challenges in the winter is preventing the system from freezing, although many farmers have come up with creative solutions to this problem using heaters or agitators.

The Effects of Ad Libitum Milk Intake on Dairy Calves

Mimicking Nature’s Way for Milk-Fed Dairy Calves: Free–Access Feeding with Acidified Milk

Making Acidic Milk with Formic Acid for Ad Libitum Feeding to Calves

Housing and Behaviour Revisited