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Rearing and breeding calves is fundamental to cattle and dairy farming and can increase profits. Ideal for farm managers, farm hands and agricultural consultants, our Introduction to Calf Rearing will give you a comprehensive understanding of calf production in the dairy and beef cattle industry.

In this raising calves course, you will learn how to select calves for breeding and dairy, manage calf operations on a farm, identify health issues, and design housing facilities for animal production. You will also gain insights into post-weaning requirements and weaning procedures for commercial operations.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a course on raising calves include:

• Learning about calving and culling
• Exploring research into raising dairy calves
• Gaining an understanding of the principles of good calf rearing
• Studying pre-calving management and managing the cow for a healthy calf
• Examining colostrum management, calf selection and estimated breeding value (EBV)
• Understanding how to assess calves for suitability in a rearing system
• Attaining knowledge of the size and weight of the calf
• Gaining insights into deformities
• Learning about teats, legs and feet
• Exploring the birth of a calf and the stages in a normal birth
• Gaining an understanding of calving problems
• Studying abnormal presentations and normal and abnormal birth positions
• Examining colostrum and stress and pathogen exposure
• Understanding how to manage pathogen exposure
• Attaining knowledge of the calf digestive tract
• Gaining insights into rumen development
• Learning about calf health management and common calf diseases
• Exploring scours (or diarrhoea), roundworm scours and coccidiosis
• Gaining an understanding of lungworm, calf diphtheria, pneumonia and clostridial diseases
• Studying salmonella and navel or joint ill
• Examining stress and the young calf, feeding stress, transport stress and stress from heat or cold
• Understanding calf rearing systems, including natural systems of calf rearing
• Attaining knowledge of birth to learning, single suckling and calving patterns
• Gaining insights into the breed or cross, growth rates and creep feeding of calves
• Learning about the advantages of the single suckling method and multiple suckling
• Exploring foster and race suckling, early weaning and artificial systems of calf rearing
• Gaining an understanding of how to teach a calf to drink and a basic feeding program
• Studying milk substitute feeding and the standard mixture of milk substitutes
• Examining common calf rearing systems, rearing calves with grass and the five-and-a-half-day system
• Understanding the once-a-day system and the cold milk system
• Attaining knowledge of acidified milk replacers, mildly acidic milk replacers and strongly acidic milk replacers
• Gaining insights into milk-fed veal production and housing and management practices
• Learning about calf housing, good ventilation, calf isolation, comfort, calf pens, metal crates and the calf hutch
• Exploring weaning, including stress at weaning and general weaning transition strategies
• Gaining an understanding of weaning at twelve and eight weeks and steps to weaning calves
• Studying how to wean at five weeks, ten days, thirty-five days and eighty-four days old
• Examining post-weaning, including transition into the main herd and calf husbandry practices
• Understanding how to reduce surgical stress, cattle identification, castration and bloodless castration
• Attaining knowledge of bloodless emasculator (calves and bulls), elastrator (calves) and surgical castration
• Gaining insights into knife or scalpel or open castration and triple crush emasculator
• Learning about when to dehorn, dehorning instruments and equipment and choosing the right dehorning instrument
• Exploring hot iron dehorning, dehorning knives, scoop dehorners and successful horn removal
• Gaining an understanding of tetanus and vaccination and worming programs

And more!

Common Calf Diseases

One of the important aspects of raising calves is how to identify and treat calf diseases. Here are the most common ones, according to Dairy Australia.

Rotavirus

This infection is caused by calves ingesting the virus from adult and other calves’ manure. Pregnant cows are also known to pass high virus levels around calving time. No specific drugs are available to destroy this virus, and treatment is focused on fluid/electrolyte replacement and other supportive measures. Prevention strategies include minimising calf contact with manure from adult cattle, and ensuring calves consume high-quality colostrum within 12 hours of birth.

Salmonellosis

This is a family of bacteria (Salmonella sp.), and many strains can cause disease in many species, including humans. Calves are infected by ingesting the bacteria found in soil, manure or water. It can also be found in the nasal secretions and saliva of infected animals. High temperatures are common with this disease, and some strains can cause joint infections and pneumonia. Prevention measures include cleaning up grain to reduce bird droppings, avoiding exposure to possible sources of infection, and minimising calf contact with adult cattle manure.

Cryptosporidium parvum

Another disease to be aware of when raising calves is Cryptosporidium Parvum. It is very common in the industry, and infection is caused by a calf ingesting an organism that is found in soil, manure or water. This disease invades the wall of the intestine, and eggs are produced. These either re-infect calves or are shed into the environment. No specific drugs are available that destroy this protozoan. Treatment is focused on adequate fluid replacement and other supportive measures. To prevent it, avoid overcrowding and exposure to possible sources such as pasture grazed by older cattle, contaminated water, and manure from other animal species.

Coronavirus

Calves get infected by this virus by ingesting manure from adults and other calves. Pregnant cows are known to pass high levels of the virus around the time of calving. No specific drugs are available that destroy this virus. Treatment is focused on adequate fluid replacement and other supportive measures. Prevention is based on minimising calf contact with adult cattle manure and ensuring calves aren’t exposed to manure during rearing or transportation. In Australia, vaccines are available against coronavirus, and are given to cows before calving.

Colibacillosis – E coli

This is caused by a bacterium (E coli), which is a normal inhabitant in the gut of cattle. There are many different strains, and not all cause disease. E coli (K99/F5) is the most common cause of diarrhoea (known as calf scours) in calves in Australia. Treatment relies on electrolyte and fluid replacement and anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal drugs. Prevention revolves around minimising calf contact with manure. Vaccination in conjunction with good colostrum management can also effectively minimise the impact of this disease. A vaccine is now available in Australia that is administered to dams before calving to increase antibodies in their colostrum.

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is caused by a protozoan. Infection is caused by ingesting the organism which is found

in soil, manure or water. Treatment options include using medications such as sulpha-based antibiotics. Prevention measures include avoiding overcrowding and minimising exposure to manure and contaminated pastures.

Non-infectious, nutritional scours

This condition presents as scouring with no identifiable infectious agent present. The actual cause is unknown, but an overly-large feed may cause a digestive upset or simple indigestion disrupting normal manure production. Changes in milk temperature and milk composition may also play a role. Treatment is focused on fluid replacement and other supportive measures. Reduction in volumes of milk fed per feed and increasing feeding frequency may be of value, and good quality milk should be fed at constant temperatures.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is another condition to be aware of when raising calves. It is a viral or bacterial infection of the lungs, and clinical signs may include coughing, fever, drooling, an increased respiratory rate and a decreased appetite. Viruses can also play a significant role as an initial cause of lung inflammation. Stressors such as cold weather, poor nutrition and overcrowding make calves more susceptible to viral infections. Treatment involves antibiotics administered by a vet. Prevention measures include ensuring facilities have shelter from draughts, adequate ventilation and good air quality.

Joint Ill

Symptoms include swollen, painful joints with limping progressing to non-weight bearing lameness. It is caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream and lodging in the joints. Treatment with the appropriate antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be helpful. Prevention strategies include spraying a dam’s umbilical cord with an effective disinfectant shortly after birth and repeating as necessary.

Mouth or cheek abscess

When raising calves, a common symptom associated with a mouth or cheek abscess is visible as a swelling of the cheek region. It is usually caused by a penetrating mouth wound that becomes infected with bacteria. Most wounds will heal with draining and flushing, but antibiotics are administered in severe cases.

Mycoplasma

This condition is caused by a bacteria – Mycoplasma bovis. It is known to cause ear infections, lung infections and swollen joints or joint infections. It is highly contagious, and can be spread by respiratory secretions, airborne particles, feeding equipment and contaminated water, feed and bedding. M bovis is challenging to treat successfully with common antibiotics — a long course of antibiotics is typically required. The best prevention strategy is to main a high level of biosecurity where calves are born and reared.

Gain a broad understanding of calf production and rearing to enhance your agriculture career with a course on raising calves, such as our Introduction to Calf Rearing.