The delicate art of raising healthy dairy calves.

Calves play at Kisii Agricultural Training Center. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Female calves replace their mothers when the mothers are culled due to old age, health problems, or other reasons. Unfortunately, many farmers lose these valuable assets before they can benefit from them.

Raising dairy calves requires careful attention and management to ensure their health, growth, and productivity as adults. From the day they are born, feeding, water, and sanitation are critical factors that need to be considered.

Milk feeding

Calves should receive colostrum, the first milk produced by the mother, within the first 12 hours after birth. Colostrum contains high levels of antibodies, essential nutrients, and energy needed for the calf's growth and protection against diseases.

At birth, most calves weigh about 50 kilograms. After the first few days, calves can be fed with a milk replacer or whole milk. It is recommended to feed them twice a day, with a total of 10-15 per cent of their body weight in milk. The aim is for the calf to gain 400 to 500 grams every day so as to double the birth weight by the time they are weaned.

Pellets and fodder feeding

Fodder is to be introduced anywhere between day 0 and day 4. The fodder must be high-quality dry hay. Tie this in the calf pen throughout. Initially, she will be playing with it, and that's fine. Later, she will be able to consume this.

Pellets can be introduced from the age of 2-3 weeks. Pellets are formulated to provide a balanced diet and can be fed in limited amounts to encourage the calf to consume more roughage such as hay or grass.

It is important to monitor the calf's weight gain and adjust its feed intake accordingly.

Water

It is important to monitor the water volume and source and ensure that it is free of harmful contaminants. The water should be at a comfortable temperature, not too hot or too cold.

The water availed to the calves should therefore be increased gradually until they are able to control their intake.

Housing

To promote good health and growth, dairy calves should be housed in well-raised , clean, dry, and well-ventilated facilities that provide adequate space and protection from the elements.

Calves should be kept in individual pens or hutches to minimize disease transmission, and the pens should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

Weaning

Calves should be weaned when they are consuming enough solid food to meet their nutritional requirements. The recommended weaning age is between 8 weeks to 12 weeks, but this can vary depending on the calf's individual needs. Some farmers wean them at four months.

During the weaning process, it is important to gradually reduce the amount of milk provided to the calf while increasing the amount of solid food. This transition should be done over a period of one to three weeks to avoid any digestive upsets that come as a result of weaning shock.

Deworming

Calves should be dewormed regularly to prevent parasites that can affect their growth and health. Worms and flukes compete for nutrients with the calf. The recommended deworming schedule is every 3 - 4 months, depending on the type of parasite and the environment.

[The writer is a Veterinary Surgeon and the Resident Vet at Farmkenya]