The Rural Voice, 2019-01, Page 50Imagine if Honda developed a new
car model and 17 per cent of
those cars failed. They would
soon be out of business. Yet the dairy
industry has a 17 per cent failure rate
for heifers.
“I don’t know any other industry
that has the luxury of that high a
failure rate,” said Dr. Alex Bach, a
Research Professor and Head of the
Department of Ruminant Production
of IRTA, a university in Barcelona,
Spain.
The problem is that dairy farmers
tend to think of feeding calves and
heifers as a cost when it needs to be
considered an investment, said Dr.
Bach while speaking to a packed
crowd at the Perth-Huron Dairy
Seminar held in Mitchell on
December 5.
“We need these calves to grow so
they can produce
milk,” said Dr.
Bach. “It’s like
investing your
money. For a calf,
the feed conversion
rate is 55 per cent.
That’s a good
interest rate!”
Dr. Bach said
genetic, ration,
reproduction,
comfort and health
status are all “very
important” factors
to raising a
productive dairy
cow. However, he
believes the first 60
days of a calf’s life
can set up cows to be high producers
all their lives.
He introduced the term “prenatal
programming” which refers to
genetic switches affecting
productivity. “If a calf is unhealthy,
she won’t have all those switches
turned on.”
Dr. Bach suggests it all boils
down to average daily gain (ADG)
pre-weaning. “ADG effects longevity
in the dairy herd, it affects
production and affects age at first
calving.”
In starts with passive transfer from
colostrum. Dairy farmers are no
doubt tired of hearing about the need
for timely colostrum but Dr. Bach
said it really cannot be understated.
That’s because colostrum is more
than just protective
immunoglobulins. Researchers are
learning more all the time about the
other components of colostrum
including insulin, and glucagon that
stimulate development of the gut
lining.
Calves that are deprived of
colostrum have thinner intestinal
walls, weaker tissues and the gut
“has holes in it.”
“These other
components of
colostrum are
incredibly important,”
said Dr. Bach.
Consequently, the gut-
building effects are
diminished in calves
fed calf starter. These
components in
powdered colostrum
get denatured but
powdered colostrum
remains really valuable
for enrichment. If fresh
colostrum isn’t
available, Dr. Bach’s
second choice is frozen
colostrum.
“Feeding colostrum is labour-
intensive but it is probably the easiest
way to dial up production,”
suggested Dr. Bach. Studies prove
that calves fed adequate colostrum
are younger at first calving, produce
more milk at first and second
lactations and have improved growth
rates and feed efficiency.
Despite research proof, he
referenced studies on colostrum in
the U.S. where there is a 21 per cent
failure of calves receiving passive
transfer. In Australia, that number
rises to 38 per cent. In Canada, it
averages between 25 and 27 per cent.
He also believes bottle feeding is
more advantageous versus tube
feeding. “If you tube, feed the calf a
bit more.”
“There is a reason colostrum is
called liquid gold,” concluded Dr.
Bach.
Adding to the conversation on
healthy-reared calves was Dr. Tom
Gutteridge, the Associate Manager of
Technical Services at Zoetis inc. The
Listowel-area veterinarian said
anything farmers can do to maximize
pre-wean gain is “totally worth it”.
While he did promote the use of
Zoetis Inforce 3 products to promote
calf health, Gutteridge also accessed
many studies along with personal
experience to show how colostrum
and respiratory disease can impact a
healthy calf into her lactating years.
46 The Rural Voice
Advice
Failure rate for calves is too high
Colostrum still remains a dairy farmer’s best investment to
grow healthy heifer calves to become high-producing cows
Dr. Alan Bach, Researcher
Barcelona, Spain
• Lisa B. Pot •
Dr. Tom Gutteridge
Zoetis, Canada