And They’re Off! Winning the Calf Starting Race

Feeding cattle successfully is a bit like a horse race; a bad start can doom the chances of winning. Getting calves off to a great start is crucially important if we want to maintain health and performance throughout the feeding period.

 

Two primary issues need to be managed during the transition process: calf behavior and rumen environment. Calves need to learn how they should eat during the starting phase and adapt to the feedlot environment. Secondly, the rumen needs to adapt to feedstuffs that may be quite different from what the calf was eating before weaning.

 

Using starting pens designed with the calf in mind can help manage cattle behavior and minimize stress during receiving. Large pens with lots of room per head facilitate calves spending more time walking the fence and reduce opportunities to find feed and water. Dust problems during dry conditions become worse if there is a larger area churned up by a group of roaming calves, and the risk of spooking and breakouts increase.

 

Pay attention to how long it takes to fill the pen. If it takes longer than five days to fill the pen, the odds of significant health problems greatly increase. If your business plan involves purchasing many small groups, having a number of smaller pens could pay off if that design allows for better management of individual groups.

 

Wide, shallow pen designs keep calves close to feed and water increasing their opportunities to encounter feed and water. Temporary panels can be used to cut larger pens into smaller, more manageable sizes. A 60 foot deep pen with at least 12 inches of bunk space per head works well for the first 7 to 10 days; calves can be allowed more area after they have settled down.

 

Water is a critically important nutrient that is often overlooked. Water quality and quantity issues can lead to health problems and reduced dry matter intake. Some calves may not recognize water fountains, especially those coming from extensive range areas. Using additional water tanks so that calves can see open water can help make sure that water intake is not limited.

 

Calves also need to become accustomed to people. Walking calves up to the bunk right after feeding encourages feeding behaviors and acclimates them to handling at the same time. It is much easier to find and treat sick calves without additional stress if they are used to being handled. Calves that are afraid of people are surprisingly good at hiding signs of illness, at least until they become very sick. Investing time and effort to improve cattle handling skills pays dividends, especially considering the challenges in finding employees with livestock experience.

 

To encourage eating behaviors in the first few days, diets for starting calves need to be palatable and nutrient dense. Long-stem prairie hay is the traditional roughage of choice because calves recognize it as feed and it stimulates saliva production. However, prairie hay alone does not have enough energy or nutrients to support immune function and weight gains. Combining roughage with concentrate feeds helps calves achieve a positive energy balance more quickly.