Good care in the first few months sets calves up for strong growth, disease resistance, and long term performance.

Give them the best start at birth by ensuring each calf gets a minimum of 10% of their body weight in high quality (>22% on a Brix refractometer) gold colostrum – ideally within the first two to six hours of life.

Take good care of navels to prevent infection, including spraying them with iodine and keeping pens clean and bedding fresh and dry. It’s also important to make sure pens are well ventilated, but free from drafts.

Feed for growth, not just survival. Offer consistent milk or milk replacer at the same temperature and time each day, introduce calf meal from the first week to encourage rumen development, and provide fresh, clean water at all times. Regularly clean feeding equipment and troughs so bacteria doesn’t build up. 

Monitor the health of your calves daily and watch for early signs of illness. Scours, coughing, nasal discharge, drooping ears or reduced appetite are all red flags. Your vet is only a phone call away if you are concerned! Any unwell calves need to be isolated into designated sick calf pens (situated away from healthy calves) to prevent the illness spreading. 

Support their immunity and growth by following a vet-advised vaccination programme and trace element supplementation schedule. We also recommend controlling parasites by checking faecal egg counts regularly and treating accordingly.

Have you heard of our Complete Calf Care programme? It’s our way of making life a little easier for you over this critical period, and covers minerals, vaccines, drenches, and trace elements for your youngstock over their first 12 months (and beyond). We put together an Animal Health Calendar with you and provide reminders of treatment timing via text or email. Products can be delivered to your farm when needed, for no extra cost.

Talk to your KeyVet this winter to get a tailored Complete Calf Care plan in place with us. Let’s grow great calves this season!