Raising healthy and productive calves is an ongoing commitment that demands dedication and attention to detail. Yet, at its core, a successful strategy can be summed up in just five words: colostrum, calories, cleanliness, comfort, and consistency. Let’s take a closer look at what makes the 5Cs so vital.

Colostrum

Calves are born with an underdeveloped immune system, which makes them vulnerable to disease-causing pathogens. Their health depends heavily on the transfer of passive immunity through their mother’s colostrum, the first milk produced after calving, which is rich in proteins, nutrients, and most importantly antibodies. Feeding high-quality colostrum to a newborn calf within the first 30 minutes of life is widely considered one of the most crucial steps for ensuring calf health.

Colostrum has its own mnemonic, the summarizing how to assess and handle it:

1. Colostrum quality is commonly measured with a Brix refractometer; a reading of 22% or higher is considered good.
2. Colostrum should be fed with the utmost quickness – ideally immediately after birth.
3. Most Calves require a quantity of 4 litres of colostrum, which should be fed within 30 minutes after birth. An additional 2 litres should be provided within 8 hours of birth.
4. To prevent contamination, all equipment used to prepare or feed the colostrum must be quite clean. Thoroughly disinfect feeding nipples, bottles, or tubes after each use.

Calories

To grow, calves must consume more calories than they expend – a significant amount. They need even more in cold weather, a significant health stressor, when they spend a lot of energy simply retaining their body heat. At 20°C, just maintaining their current weight requires roughly 2,400 calories. If calorie intake is insufficient, calves are less likely to grow and more likely to become sick.   

For young calves, calorie intake should come from milk, milk replacer, and calf starter. Over time, they gain the ability to digest straw and hay. In addition, fresh water should always be available, as its consumption promotes increased dry matter intake.

Weighing calves regularly is helpful for monitoring growth and ensuring they’re meeting  target gains, adjusting feeding quantities as necessary. Ideally, a calf should double its birth weight by the time it’s weaned, which could be achieved by gaining 1.2 to 1.8 lb daily.

Cleanliness

A clean, dry, well-bedded, and draft-free environment is essential for newborn calves. This setup promotes their overall well-being and serves as a critical preventative measure against future health issues. Maintaining cleanliness in the calving area minimizes bacterial exposure, giving calves an optimal start to life when their immune systems are the most fragile.

Cleanliness also applies to the equipment used to care for the calves. As mentioned above, it’s important to thoroughly disinfect calf feeding equipment between uses. Oral ingestion of bacteria can easily cause disease, like diarrhea, in these animals. It’s best practice to wear disposable gloves when handling calves and change them between animals to prevent disease transmission.

Comfort

While mature cows can typically withstand cold as low as -20°C without experiencing stress, newborns may show discomfort as soon as temperatures fall in the 10 to 15°C range. Exposure to wind and wet conditions compromises their natural insulation and increases their vulnerability to cold. Providing newborn calves with an insulated jacket during extreme cold was shown to improve their weight gain while simultaneously lowering their feed requirements.

A warm, adequately ventilated, and well-bedded shelter is essential for ensuring calf comfort. Calves require far more bedding than needed to keep the floor clean; 3 to 4 inches of shavings topped with 12 inches of straw is ideal. Only a calf’s head and back should be visible when it’s lying down in the straw.

Ensure bedding is in sufficient quantity and dry enough by performing the “Kneel Test”: kneel on it for 20 seconds. If your knees become wet, add more straw or replace it entirely.

Consistency

Like many animals, calves are creatures of habit. Routines provide them with a sense of safety and stability. They enjoy being fed the same diet every day at a consistent time.

Avoid feeding calves waste milk or mixtures of whole milk and milk replacer. Such practices lack stability and consistency, which may upset their digestive systems.

Make dietary changes gradually to ensure a smooth transition and prevent diarrhea. For example, mix 75% of calves’ current feed with 25% of the new feed for two feedings. Gradually adjust to a 50/50 mix, then 25/75, until the transition is complete.

Incorporating the 5Cs of calf management—colostrum, calories, cleanliness, comfort, and consistency—provides a strong foundation for raising healthy, productive calves. By focusing on these key principles, caregivers can ensure calves are well-nourished, protected from disease, and set up for long-term success.

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