Vinh Phuc: Techniques for raising female dairy calves with industrial milk powder

In recent years, the dairy farming movement has become a strength in livestock farming, contributing to promoting the socio-economic development process in Vinh Thinh commune (Vinh Tuong - Vinh Phuc). To bring about high economic efficiency, farmers have applied many scientific and technical advances, in which raising calves with powdered milk is one of the highly effective methods, which has been widely applied by people.

Currently, the whole district has 13 communes and towns developing dairy farming with about 800 households participating. The total herd of dairy cows is more than 3,500. For dairy farming, the two main products that bring high economic value to households are fresh milk produced by mother cows and calves. Therefore, to increase the output of commercial milk for sale, households must raise mother cows well so that the cows have a lot of milk, and at the same time must reduce the amount of fresh milk fed to female calves. Fresh milk from mother cows can be replaced by using industrial milk powder with the right technique, ensuring the quality of the milk calves fed to the female calves so that they can grow and develop well.

To encourage dairy farmers in Vinh Thinh in particular and dairy farmers across the country in general to actively apply this farming method, and at the same time help people gain more experience in taking care of calves, the following is the process of raising female dairy calves with industrial milk powder:

1. Age of starting calves and raising time

Average is 7-10 days old (when the calf has finished its colostrum)
Rearing time: Average is 04 months.

2. Calf pen

The best way to raise calves is to raise them in separate kennels. If raising them on the floor, the calves should be kept in separate kennels, not with breeding cows or heifers, and should be separated from each other. The calves' pens must be dry, clean, warm in winter and cool in summer. There should be enough feeders and waterers suitable for the scale of the farm.

3. Food and drink

- Calf feed includes: Fresh milk (colostrum of mother cow), alternative feed is Young Calf industrial milk powder produced in the Netherlands, concentrated feed, green forage and supplementary feed.
- Drinking water: Use clean, safe water sources, free of heavy metals...

4. Calf care and feeding

- Use a clean, soft cloth or towel to dry the calf's entire body, remove all mucus from the calf's mouth and nose. If the calf is suffocating, quickly provide first aid, peel off the calf's hooves to help the calf learn to walk easily, disinfect the calf's umbilical cord with 5% iodine alcohol, put the calf in a cage or pen with a clean, dry layer of bedding and always monitor the calf.

- Feed calves with enough colostrum and feed as soon as possible after birth (no later than 1 hour after birth).

- Training and feeding milk replacement: Train the calf to suckle (feed milk) by hand right from the time the newborn is fed colostrum. Before stopping feeding fresh milk, it is necessary to have time to train the calf to get used to new food, by gradually reducing the ratio of fresh milk and gradually increasing the milk replacement until completely using milk replacement, about 10 - 15 days after birth.

The amount of Young Calf milk replacer used is as follows:

+ First week: Feed fresh milk (colostrum) according to the calf's needs and the amount of mother's milk

+ Second to third week: 04-06 liters/head/day
+ Fourth to ninth week: 06 - 07 liters/head/day
+ Week ten to week twelfth: 04-05 liters/head/day
+ The following weeks gradually decrease and end at the stage when the calf has become accustomed to green roughage and can eat about 01 kg/head/day of concentrated feed.

* Feeding technique: Boil clean water, wait for the water temperature to gradually decrease to 450C, pour water into the bucket and slowly pour in the milk powder, stirring vigorously until dissolved. The ratio of milk replacement to water is 1:8. Feed the mixed milk to the calf immediately. The mixed milk is only used during the day. In cold winter weather, it is necessary to raise the temperature of the milk to avoid causing digestive disorders for the calf.

- Train and feed calves with green roughage:

According to natural reflexes, we also practice feeding calves with green roughage from the end of 1 week of age. The food is high quality hay, gradually increasing the quantity according to the age and needs of the calf.

- Train and feed calves with concentrated feed:

According to natural reflexes, also practice feeding the calf with concentrated feed from the third day after birth. Concentrated feed can be specialized industrial feed or homemade feed that ensures quality, rich in nutrients, delicious, dry, smooth. The first times of eating, if the calf is not used to it, you may have to practice feeding by hand: Let the calf smell, rub a little in the calf's mouth. When the calf is used to eating, put the feed in buckets, basins and hang it in the calf pen. Gradually increase the amount of concentrated feed according to the age and needs of the calf, until the calf eats about 01kg/day, then you can completely stop using milk to feed the calf.

- Drinking water: Must provide enough drinking water every day according to the needs of the calf. The drinking water source must be clean and free of impurities and heavy metals. In cold winter weather, the calf needs to drink warm water.

- Supplementary food: Need to pay attention to adding mineral premix, vitamins......

- Exercise and sunbathe for calves: Every day when the weather is warm and sunny outside, you should take your calves out to exercise and sunbathe for 1-2 hours to help them absorb Vitamin D; stimulate digestion and help the motor system develop.

Every day, it is necessary to proactively provide adequate food and water for calves; clean the calf pens and cribs, clean the feeding troughs and drinking troughs, clean the calf's body, do not let the calf lick each other's fur, monitor the growth and development of the calf, monitor the occurrence of diseases...

5. Disease prevention and treatment for calves

- Regularly clean the barn, clean the food and water troughs, disinfect the sewers, and bathe the calves.
- Periodically spray disinfectants on the livestock environment with chemicals such as: Benkocid, BKA, Han-Idodine, lime powder....
- Vaccinate calves according to regulations
- Regularly deworm calves.

According to the National Agricultural Extension Center