From a calf’s very first breath, a dairy operator’s goal is to make the most out of every lifecycle they manage.
The care doesn’t stop after it’s a calf, or after first lactation. It’s a commitment that continues until that animal leaves the operation. In fact, the care that animals receive can be reflected in a herd across generations.
Tom Earleywine, director of nutritional services for Purina Animal Nutrition, focuses on the research behind what drives an animal’s success, one stage at a time. He says a producer can have an incredible influence on a calf’s outcome in utero.
“Early life determines the potential for that animal to not only grow, but its feed efficiency, its gut health, its overall health, its productivity,” he says. “And even if you were talking about a beef-on-dairy animal or a bull calf, its carcass value is all influenced starting all the way back in utero.”
When feeding a dry cow and transition cow, Earleywine says the nutritional choices influence the calf. He references Purina research showing how feed technology fed to the dry cow has influenced the calf performance through the weaning stage.
After birth, Earleywine notes that colostrum and colostrum replacers can influence the animal. Recent work with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab is refining colostrum feeding recommendations.
In the growing heifer stage, developing the rumen is critical. Stressors during this time of development can lead to respiratory issues, Earleywine warns. Once the animal gets to the breeding stage, the concern is making sure the producer doesn’t mess up the early progress.
“We’ve spent all this money already – the most expensive time of their life is birth to weaning… up until right before lactation,” he says. “You don’t want to mess it up during that time that it seems like we tend to ignore them.”
He says it’s critical that they’re ready for the lactation stage. Especially in first-time calvers, like heifers, target nutrition so the animal is growing at the right rate. Earleywine advises that the heifer should be about 85 percent of her mature body weight after calving.
From the earliest days in utero through their dry cow and transition, Purina Animal Nutrition is there to help dairy animals transition smoothly, grow efficiently, and reach full genetic potential, generation after generation. Learn more: https://www.purinamills.com/dairy-feed
