Housing for calves
To help reduce the risk of spreading disease and bacteria, it is recommended that you try to keep calves in individual pens for the first 3 weeks. Usually disease is spread through direct contact with other calves so this will help reduce that problem. Statistically farms that use individual pens for young calves at this early stage have reduced losses than those compared to farms that do not follow this practice.
Usually after this 3 week period, calves can then start to be put into groups.
Bedding
Calves should be housed on a dry surface, such as a thick layer of straw. It is important to clean out the bedding regularly to reduce the risk of disease but also to ensure that the ground stays dry. If your calves are lying on wet bedding there is an increased risk of them contracting diseases owing to them being subject to cold and damp over time.
Cold wind
Ensure there is not a draught coming through into the calf pen. This can cause respiratory problems in the calves. To prevent this, you can build a makeshift roof and walls in the pen to create more protection for the calves to try and block the cold air. This creates a better climate for the calves to lie down in.
Winter Months
In the colder months it is important to keep an eye on spells of cold weather. Ensure that the calves have a dry protected section to lie down in, if needed some of the smaller younger calves may need calf coats for extra protection, and you can also increase the feed quantity by 10% per calf per day to ensure the calf has ample energy through nutrition to keep its body temperature safe.
Eringold OXI is specifically designed for calves with issues of respiratory problems and will greatly help improve resistance and decrease the number of lung treatments. Research has shown that the addition of OXI Plus in milk replacer can decrease the number of calf losses and veterinary treatments. Healthy calves will thrive, so with the increase in consumption of solid feed this will inevitably result in extra weight at weaning. Click here to view our Eringold OXI Milk Replacer www.eringoldltd.com/products/eringold-super-oxi
If you would like any further information on calf rearing, or on our products please contact us at https://eringoldltd.com/contact/
