Rumen Development and Feeding Management of Young Calves

1. Rumen Development and Feeding Management of Young Calves Tom Wright, Dairy Nutritionist, OMAFRA

2. Importance of Rumen Development • Growth = energy + protein • To get energy and protein from the rumen into the calf, absorption capacity is needed • Calf starter helps develop rumen papillae to optimize absorption capacity Courtesy of Dr. M. Steele

3. Phases of Development • Three aspects of rumen development from birth to weaning: • Pre-ruminant phase (lasts 2 to 3 weeks from birth) • almost exclusively reliant on nutrients in milk for growth and development • Transitional phase • gradual intake of solid feed promotes rumen development, papillae • growth, rumen musculature, development of fermentation environment • 3. Ruminant phase (at weaning) • dependent on fermentation of solid feed, absorption of nutrients, • production of microbial protein and VFAs

4. Phases of Development Ruminant Pre-ruminant Transition • Calf starter helps develop rumen papillae to optimize absorption capacity Milk Solid feed Source: Penn State University. Available online

5. Rumen Development • Fermentation of carbohydrates in solid feed – primarily from starter • Promotes rumen development • Key fermentation products are butyrate and propionate (Warner, 1956) • Provision of small amounts of hay (10 - 15% of intake) can aid in rumen musculature development but in young calves, fermentation of hay is limited because: • few cellulotytic bacteria are present • rumen pH is not stabilized • papillae not fully functional to absorb VFAs11

6. Rumen Development Protein Promotes lower and stable pH Starter VFA • Starter fermentation produces volatile fatty acids (VFA), which are taken up across the rumen wall for energy Rumen Wall

7. Rumen Development Protein • With too low pH, fermentation bacteria can start to die off lower rumen pH Starter VFA Rumen Wall

8. Feeding and Nutritional Management

9. More to Nutrition than Nutrients • Environment and Management are just as important as nutritional quality • Consider: • Air quality • Water • Lighting • Ambient temperature • Social setting • Sanitation/Disease Pressure • Good calf managers always look at the whole picture so they set calves up to meet their potential

10. Factors Affecting Eating Behaviour Housing Environment Intake Management Health Light Social Factors Nutrition

11. Interrelationships for Eating Behaviours Environment Housing Intake Management Health Light Social Factors Nutrition

12. Positive attitude direct relation to disease level (Lensink et al., 2001) Lowest mortality in neonatal calves when a female was in charge (Losinger et al., 1997) Three vs. twice a day liquid feeding ?? 1x day for replacer no effect (Stanley et al, 2002) Weaning 6,7,8 wk of age or older – avoid post-weaning slump Industry in NA aims for 8 wks Feeding Management

13. How Fast Do You Want To Grow Them? 750 – 850 g, Zanton and Heinricks, 2005

14. Greatest Growth Potential Occurs In The First 6 Months Source Babcock

15. Importance of Water • Most essential nutrient, represents 70% of body weight • Water is lost from respiration and manure (feces and urine) • Water balance is controlled by the kidneys • Water intake is positively correlated with dry matter intake

16. Water • At what age is fresh water offered to calves? • 0 – 5 days  23% (215/920) • 5 – 10 days  29% (268/920) • More than 10 days  30% (280/920) • Not until after weaning  17% (157/920)

17. Some Water Myths & Issues • Water causes scours • They get enough water in milk or replacer • It’s a pain to handle and it freezes in winter

18. Water Recommendations • Water should be offered from 3 days of age, it promotes starter intake • Preferably free choice access • Needs to be clean • Calves prefer to drink warm water (though no evidence this improves gain etc., but they will drink more water if it’s warm) • Ideally it should be physically separated from the calf starter-water dribbled into calf starter reduces intake of starter Quigley et al. 2006

19. Average Daily Water Intake Birth to 4 wks 3.5 L 4 wk to 8 wks 5.7 L

20. Water Intake by Treatment

21. Consider Effects of Housing on Calf Feeding

22. Social Environment • Packs vs. corrals vs. individual housing • No clear data on feeding and intake, mostly other behaviour responses have been documented

23. Dry cows - 12 hours Lactating cows - 16 to 18 hours Yearlings - 12 hours ????? Neonatal - unknown Consider Effects of Lighting

24. Effects of Light on Starter Intake (18h vs. 10h) 18h 10h Week Osborne et al. 2007

25. Cold Weather Feeding • 45kg calf requires 382g/d of dry milk replacer at thermoneutral temperature to meet her maintenance energy requirement, but the same calf needs 725 g/d at -20 °C • Calves have little body fat reserve to use as an energy source (4 - 5% of body weight) • In cold barns, it is important to increase quantity of milk (preferably via extra feeding time) and recognize that cold stress in calves happens at a fairly comfortable ambient temperature for people (below 15°C)

26. Feeding Calves in Colder Weather • The thermoneutral zone for calves lies between 15 and 25°C • Energy required by the calf increases significantly when it’s cold

27. Cold Weather Feeding Options • To maintain growth: • Increase volume of milk or replacer at each feeding • PREFERRED OPTION provide an additional feeding • For accelerated programs additional milk/replacer at a third feeding is • preferable to increasing quantity • Switch to higher fat milk replacer in cold weather (20% in winter months) • 5. Promote starter intake – ensure freshness etc.

28. Calf Starters and Supplements

29. Grain • At what age is grain/starter introduced to calves? • 0 – 5 days 32% (299/940) • 5 – 10 days  46% (430/940) • 11 – 20 days  17% (162/940) • More than 20 days of age  5% (49/940) • Do calves have free-choice access to grain/starter? • 87%  YES

30. Feeding Calf Starter • Calves should be offered starter from birth • During the pre-ruminant phase, intake of starter is small, but measurable amounts are consumed by 14 days • Goals of the traditional “Calf Starter Method” of feeding when milk is restricted fed ↑ starter intake ↑ promote rumen development ↓ age at weaning

31. Calf Starter Intake • Comparisons: • Early vs. late • weaning • Low-fed vs. • high-fed milk • program • *Weaning period • highlighted* • Reduced milk availability is best promoter of calf starter intake • Reducing available milk once before weaning helps increase starter intake at weaning De Passillé et al., 2011

32. Introduction of Hay • When are calves normally introduced to hay? • Less than 2 weeks of age  155 • 2 – 4 weeks of age  195 • 4 – 6 weeks of age  190 • After weaning  20

33. Forage Intake • Forage intake can influence rumen health • Intake increases with age • Doesn’t appear directly related to milk feeding program (early vs. late weaning; low vs. high-fed milk) De Passillé et al., 2011

34. Inorganic vs. organic (proteinate) Proteinate defined:a trace mineral (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Se or Co) chelated to amino acids and peptides Main effect is on immune system Better biological activity Maternal Trace Mineral Influence on Calf

35. Probiotics (good for first 2 weeks of life) mannanoligosaccharides, yeast cell walls Pastes (live yeasts, vitamins, bacteria) 5ml/d Lactoferrin – natural antibiotic, immune regulator Calf Nutrient Supplements

36. Organic trace minerals √ Lactoferrin ? Probiotics/Pastes √ Group/Individual Management $ Automatic feeder Management $ Extra light √ Whole milk/replacer Management $ Take Home Message

37. Milk Replacer

38. Milk Feeding Options • Whole saleable milk • Waste milk • Pasteurized milk • Milk replacer (various formulations)

39. Milk Feeding

40. Economic and management decision No difference after weaning Acidified replacer (formic, propionic, pH 3.8-4.5) Has to be mixed cold Higher Protein/Fat replacers 28/20%, soy protein, plant oils Whole Milk vs. Replacer

41. Managing Replacer Feeding • Assess the water source • Bacterial contamination sources include • Scoops, pails, nipples, hands • Pest Control during storage • e.g. rodents, dogs and cats

42. Milk Replacer Feeding Smaller stomachs require frequent feedings to allow a calf MAXIMIZE nutrient uptake • Too many nutrients at once • Milk can travel back to the rumen and cause bloating • It will pass right through the calf and cause nutritional scours • Feeding schedules should consider what a calf can physically digest in one meal

43. Types Of Milk Replacer • All milk protein • Alternative source • Accelerated growth

44. Milk Replacer Ingredients • Protein • Whey protein concentrate, dried whey, skim milk, casein, calcium or sodium caseinate, dried whey product, soy protein isolate, soy flour, protein modified soy flour, soy protein concentrate, wheat protein, hydrolized wheat gluten, potato protein isolate, egg product, animal plasma protein • Fat • Vegetable oils, lard, tallow, coconut oil, milk fats, lecithin • Other Ingredients • Vitamin and mineral premix, prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, flavouring, emulsifiers, selenium yeast

45. Milk Replacer Composition • Conventional Restricted Milk Fed Programs • Crude Protein content of 20% to 22% maximizes lean tissue growth (Bartlett et al., 2006) • Enhanced Milk Feeding Programs • Crude Protein must be 26% to 28%, can use a lower fat (15%) except in cold weather (energy needs to be increased to 18 -20%)

46. NRC Recommendations (DM basis)

47. Notes To NRC Recommendations • Generally, they reflect the calf’s needs, but they date from 2001 and new information has been developed since that time. • Vitamin E is routinely included in milk replacers at higher than NRC levels • Based on evidence that it supports calf health. • Vitamin A is routinely added at several times the NRC recommendation but while there is some data to support this, it isn’t a conclusive benefit