1 September 2020

THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDING CALVES

A new birth is always one of the most beautiful events, even in the stable. That’s why we want to dedicate a few minutes to the topic of feeding calves, especially in their first days of life.

What is certain is the importance of administering a good quality colostrum within the first 6 hours of life. This allows the greatest absorption of nutrients, which is very important for growth and digestion. It is also the only way to allow the calf to develop passive immunity, which is useful for preventing some of the most common diseases among calves, such as diarrhoea and respiratory diseases.

Administering colostrum: an important factor in the feeding of calves

By colostrum, we mean the “milk” from the first two milkings; the higher its quality, the greater the benefits, which is why it’s important that breeders have a reserve kept in the right way, to be used if they do not have it at the time of birth. Colostrum administration is a delicate phase, so another recommendation is to dedicate the right time to it, remembering that this will strengthen the immune system and therefore protect the calf in its first weeks of life. If you do it right, you’ll see the results in the not-so-distant future.

FEEDING CALVES AND ORGANISING SPACE

In addition to the calves’ diet, another important factor to keep in mind is the cleanliness of the spaces dedicated to the new-born. In fact, we often see improvised calf pens in small, reclaimed or disused areas. This obviously worsens the growing conditions considerably and exponentially increases the bacterial load, and consequently the development of infections that can be lethal for the little ones. If you check out the many solutions available on the market for creating a dedicated structure with adequate space and ventilation in time, it will be an investment in the future of your stable. Try it!

To read about all our solutions for calves, from birth to weaning, visit https://www.antoniniduea.it/en/product-category/newborn-calf-pens/

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