Cold Weather Calf Care and Colostrum Management

Laura Kieser, Carver/Scott County Extension Educator

February 1, 2008

As the cold temperatures have blasted upon us, it is important to re-evaluate calf care protocols. Calves will have higher nutrient requirements in the winter, especially if housed in hutches or other outdoor housing. Colostrum management is critical at any time of year. Using these hints will help to ensure the health and longevity of the replacement heifer within the herd. The tips listed below are from Dr. Sam Leadley, calf/heifer management specialist for Attica Veterinary Associates, Attica, NY.

1. Feed all calves at least 4 quarts of high quality, clean colostrum no later than 4 hours after birth.


2. For calves consuming primarily a liquid ration, feed enough milk/milk replacer appropriate to the environmental temperature to provide enough energy for both maintenance and at least one pound per day growth.


3. For calves on a combination liquid and calf starter ration, feed free-choice calf starter grain.


4. Provide free-choice water to all calves in both non-freezing and freezing weather.


5. During cold weather, dry calf hair coats at birth enough to fluff in order to reduce evaporation heat losses.


6. During cold weather in calf barns, provide adequate air exchange (15 cfm/min/calf) without creating drafts on individual calves.


7. In all housing in cold weather, keep an adequate layer of dry bedding underneath calves to insulate them from a cold base. Much of the insulation value of bedding is lost when it is wet. Wet bedding can have three times the heat loss as dry bedding.


8. In all housing in cold weather, control convection losses either by adequate soft bedding to allow “nesting” or by the use of calf blankets.

Let’s consider procedures for managing colostrum. Compare your routines with the standards in this checklist. When making this evaluation, use these scores:

1 = never; 2 = seldom; 3 = often; 4 = usually; 5 = almost always

1. All feeding equipment that comes in contact with colostrum is scrubbed after every use.


2. When periodically cultured for bacteria, colostrum as fed to calves is not contaminated with environmental bacteria, thus, reducing septicemia and scours. Very highly contaminated colostrum may substantially reduce the rate of antibody transfer as well.


3. Colostrum contaminated with mastitis and blood is discarded. If no colostrum is available, use a colostrum replacer.


4. Colostrum quality (antibody concentration) is estimated and the best quality available is fed to heifer calves. While only a very rough guide to quality, a Colostrometer? may be used to exclude the lowest quality colostrum. Feeding more of poor quality colostrum is not an effective substitute for a good quality product.


5. Colostrum is fed to heifer calves no more than four hours after birth and to at least one-half of the heifer calves within one hour after birth. One-half of a heifer’s ability to absorb antibodies is gone within six hours; three-quarters of this capability is gone within twelve hours after birth.


6. Plenty of good quality colostrum is fed. Average and large calves are fed four quarts within the first six hours. Smaller calves are fed proportionately less but still more than two quarts.


7. When only low quality colostrum (low antibody concentration) is available, an effective colostrum supplement is also fed to boost its antibody content.


8. When possible, fresh or refrigerated colostrum less than two days old is fed rather than frozen/thawed colostrum. Thus, the calf gets a full dose of maternal immune cells as well as the maternal antibodies.


9. Fresh cows are milked for the first time less than six hours after calving. By 10 hours post calving colostrum antibody concentration will have dropped 27 percent, by 14 hours they will decrease 33 percent compared to 2 hours post calving.

To get more information about calf care, come visit with Sam Leadley in person at the Carver County/U of MN Dairy Expo and Trade Show on Monday, February 18, 2008 at Central High School in Norwood Young America. His topic is entitled, “Profit Opportunities When Raising Dairy Replacements.”

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with the first breakout sessions at 10:30 a.m. The cost for the event is $10 per person and includes continental breakfast, entry to all sessions, trade show, lunch and proceedings.

More information about the program can be found by visiting the U of MN Extension Dairy Team website: www.extension.umn.edu/dairy or by calling the Carver County Extension office at 952-466-5300.