“During the first six weeks, a calf cannot yet process concentrates and roughage, simply because the rumen isn’t developed,” explains Johan. Therefore, the feeding strategy during the milk phase is very important to guide the calf from monogastric to ruminant.
1. Ensure milk enters the abomasum
Milk powder belongs in the abomasum; the calf cannot utilise milk in the rumen. So make sure the milk powder stays in the abomasum. Thanks to the oesophageal groove reflex, the milk, when the calf recognises it as milk, ends up in the abomasum. You can optimally activate the oesophageal groove reflex as follows:
- Ensure the correct concentration of 150 grams of powder per litre of milk.
- Use a new teat that the calf has to suck on intensively.
- Make sure the milk is 40 to 42°C.
- The correct drinking height is at the withers height of the calf.
2. Feed concentrates
Preferably feed calf pellets from week 1. “These are concentrated and contain the right amino acids that the calf needs to develop the rumen. But be aware that the calf cannot yet extract real nutrition from, for example, the cow’s ration until six weeks. Milk is still really the source of nutrition at that time,” says Johan. If you only have space for one small bucket in, for example, single housing for the first two weeks, always choose water and start with concentrates in group housing. “Calves are real imitators and quickly learn to eat concentrates by watching each other.” Ideally, the calf gets unlimited concentrates until two weeks after weaning.
3. Use chopped straw
Roughage is an important source of structure to stimulate the rumen to produce rumen papillae. Again, the calf cannot yet extract nutrition from roughage in the first six weeks but can already practise eating. Johan prefers chopped or hammered wheat straw. “Hay is often too long, which gives too little rumen stimulation. Moreover, hay is often too rich in sugars, as is the case with coarse grass silage. Calf muesli is a good alternative to concentrates and straw. It’s convenient, looks and smells good. Do make sure it has a protein content of at least 17%,” says Johan, who notes that the mueslis from Agrifirm contain this protein content.