ANIMAL PRODUCTION
CALF MANAGEMENT.
CARE OF THE COW AND CALF DURING
AND AFTER PARTURITION:
Success in dairying depends largely
on the proper care and efficient
management of the herd. All dairy
operations must be planned with due
regard to the comfort of the animals.
Care of pregnant cows during and
after calving, therefore, should
receive the personal attention of the
dairy farmer, otherwise he is likely to
make many costly mistakes. Few
hints are given here for his guidance.
A.
Caring for the Cow
Usually a dairy cow will carry her calf
a period of 280 days (gestation
period). However, they may range
from 270 - 290 days after conception.
If accurate breeding records have
been kept, which every farmer should
do, the date can be calculated to
within one to ten days. Knowing
expected date of calving is a “must”
for taking all future care of the
pregnant cows.
In handling advanced pregnant cows,
care should be taken to prevent them
from being injured by slipping on
stable floors or by crowding through
doorways, or by mounting cows or
bulls that are in heat. Separate the
pregnant cows from rest and allow
them to live in a little isolated way.
Symptoms that an animal is about to
calve include swelling of the udder,
swelling of the vulva and dropping
away ligaments around the tail head.
At this stage she should be housed in
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
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calving pen. Birth usually takes in one
or two hours. The room should be
clean, well ventilated, well bedded
and finally, disinfected. Alternatively a
small well grassed pasture free from
trash or manure and close to the
farmstead (to get some observation)
makes a good calving place except
during monsoon and cold months.
The majority of domesticated animals
require little or no assistance in the
actual act of parturition, provided they
are in a reasonably healthy and
vigorous state. At the same time, it is
advisable that someone shall be at
hand to give any help if some
emergency arises. At the first sign of
calving, the front feet of the calf
should appear first, then nose. Any
abnormality in presentation requires
immediate attention by a veterinarian.
Remember that if the labour prolongs
for more than 4 hours, abnormal
presentation is probable (dystocia).
Immediately provide veterinary aid.
After parturition the exterior of the
genitalia, the flanks and tail should be
washed with warm clean water
containing
some
crystals
of
potassium permanganate. This will
give a good antiseptic wash.
Keep the cow warm to prevent her
from chill and it is desirable to give
her warm water or Gur sarbat to drink
just after parturition.
It is normal for the udder to become
large and swollen just before calving.
Special precautions should be
exercised to see that old nails, loose
glass pieces, etc., do not cut and
injure the swollen udder. Milk the cow
partially to avoid milk fever after
parturition.
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ANIMAL PRODUCTION
The placenta will normally leave the
cow within 2 - 4 hours. If it is not
expelled between 8 - 12 hours,
administer ergot mixture. Beyond 12
hours, apply manual help by a
veterinarian. When the afterbirth has
been
discharged,
it
should
immediately be buried deeply. All
care should be taken to avoid licking
or ingestion of placenta by the cow as
the practice adversely reduce milk
yield due to excessive protein intake.
There are always dangers that high
producing cows will develop milk
fever and mastitis. The dairyman
should remain alert for any symptoms
of the diseases. To avoid milk fever, it
is best not to draw all the milk from
the udder for a day or two after
calving. To avoid mastitis, regular
tests should be made by a
veterinarian.
Feed the cow at first only bran mash
moistened with lukewarm water to
provide laxative effect. Some green
grass may also be given. After 2 days
a mixture of oats, bran and linseed
mash can be used to replace bran
mash. If the cow is in good condition
at the time of calving the amount of
feed during these two days does not
matter. The amount of concentrates
should then be gradually increased
with the aim of reaching full dosages
in two weeks.
Care of Calf Before and After
Parturition..
The future calf should be taken care
even before birth, i.e. the pregnant
cow should be cared and fed well
especially during the last three
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months of pregnancy. If the cow is
confined in shed she should be put
into well-bedded calving box a few
days prior to calving. Although it is not
necessary for attendant to be present
when the cow is calving, it is better for
somebody to be near so that
assistance if necessary can be
provided.
If the cow calves normally she will
immediately begin to lick the new
born calf and this will stimulate
respiration and improve circulation
and dry the young animal. If the calf
does not breathe, artificial respiration
should be used by alternately
compressing and relaxing the chest
walls with the hands after laying the
calf on its side. The naval cord of the
calf should be snipped off at about 2”
away from the body with the help of a
pair of sterilized scissors and painted
with Tr. of Iodine and dusted with
boric acid powder. This may prevent
disease germs from entering by this
avenue. The naval cord should not be
tied but allowed to drain.
A vigorous calf will attempt to rise in
15 minutes and usually will be nursing
in half an hour. The weaker the calf
the longer the time it will be able to be
up and nursing. Some calves are
unable to nurse by their own efforts. It
is necessary to assist the calf by
holding it up to the cow’s udder. If the
calf is so weak that it is unable to
drink even when held up it may be
necessary to feed it with the help of a
bottle or pail. Much infection can be
prevented if an attendant cleans the
udder before the calf nurses.
Be sure the calf gets first milk
(colostrum) at least for 48 hours. The
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
antibodies present in colostrum
protect the calf against diseases and
the colostrum has a laxative effect.
The rate of colostrum milk feeding
should be about 10% of the calf’s
body weight per day, up to a
maximum of 5 - 6 litres per day. If
scouring occurs, the milk allowance
should be reduced to 1/2 or less until
the calf recovers. If possible, follow
weaning system.
The calf is best maintained in an
individual pen or stall for the first few
weeks. This allows more careful
attention to individuals. After about 8
weeks of age, it may be handled with
a group.
Take the body weight of the calf if
possible and identify the calf by giving
identification marks.
At the age of 15 days the calf should
be vaccinated against H.S.
The calf should be dehorned at an
early age, preferably within 15 days
after calving.
Teats of the udders of heifers in
excess of four are usually best
removed. Frequently limited amounts
of milk may be secreted by extra
teats creating difficulty at milking time.
At the age of 3 months, the calf
should be vaccinated against anthrax
and 15 days thereafter it should be
vaccinated against B.Q.
The Aims of Calf
Rearing.
Feeding Calves:
A successful calf rearing system
provides a calf with the necessary
requirements
for
growth
and
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development. These requirements
change with time and circumstance
but no system will work unless they
are met.
The aim in calf rearing is to produce a
healthy well-grown weaner, capable
of making most efficient use of
pasture. A suitable system has the
following attributes:
- satisfactory calf performance

by minimizing disease and deaths

by optimizing growth rates

minimal input costs

minimal labour requirements.
Which system is ideal depends on
the individual operator. By relating the
objectives of the operator to the
needs of the calf and the features of
various systems, a suitable system
can be designed.
The first few hours:
The importance of colostrum.
Newborn calves are born without
resistance to disease and have low
reserves of a number of vitamins and
minerals.
These deficiencies are made good
with colostrum or “beesting”, which is
produced from the cow’s udder at the
time the calf is born. It is the first
secretion from the cow’s udder when
she calves. It is also very nutritious
food for the calf because it contains
high levels of proteins, vitamins and
minerals.
The
composition
of
colostum changes rapidly and if the
3
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
cow is regularly and well milked out,
normal milk is obtained after 4 - 7
days.
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
poor mothering(especially)
heifers

a cow down with milk fever

bad weather

cows, particularly induced cows,
bagged up and milked out before
calving.
by
Colostrum provides to the calf:

an immediate source of energy

a passive immunity to disease
through
antibodies
and
immunoglobulins

a reserve of vitamins and minerals
The ability of the calf to absorb
antibodies and immunoglobulins,
which are proteins, into its system
decreases after it is eight hours old
(sometimes sooner) and has virtually
ceased when it is 24 hours old. If the
calf gets immunoglobulins from 0 - 24
hours,
resistance
to
diseases
develops. Therefore, it is vitally
important to the future health of the
calf that it suckles within a few hours
of birth.
Similarly, there is no benefit from
leaving the calf on the dam longer
than 24 hours since it no longer has
the ability to take up these proteins.
Colostrum is usually found for four
days in the udder.
Methods of Providing
Colostrum.
The obvious importance of colostrum
in the survival of the calf means that
steps must be taken to provide
colostrum if, for some reason, a calf
fails to receive enough first milk from
its mother. Conditions that may lead
to such a situation include:
 a poorly producing cow
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PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
Colostrum can be supplied to the calf
from another freshly calved cow in
such situations, provided that her own
calf
has
received
adequate
colostrum.
The colostrum should be from
another cow within the same herd
because the immunity to disease
differs between farms, depending on
the diseases to which the cows have
been exposed. (Remember that
heifers that do not mix with the herd
may not have enough antibodies in
their milk to provide suitable
protection to their calves).
We have to make sure that the calf
gets colostrum within 24 hours after
birth If the calf gets colostrum 24
hours
after
parturition,
the
immunoglobulins will not be available
to the calf due to the following
reasons:
1. After 24 hours’ time, the mucus
membrane of the small intestines
of the calf produces Hydrochloric
acid and the immunoglobulins get
digested.
2. After 24 hours, the small
intestines of the calf become thick
under the influence of bacteria
and immunoglobulins are not
permeated.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
3.
After 24 hours, liver secretes
bile and this bile destroys the
immunoglobulins.
Alternatively,
some
first-milking
colostrum, preferably mixed from a
few cows, can be frozen to preserve
the immunoglobulins and antibodies.
This can be thawed and used quickly
for any calf suspected of not drinking
from its dam. Colostrum will store
frozen for up to 18 months.
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A calf needs at least two litres of
colostrum milk to receive adequate
disease protection.
Colostrum Substitute:
Whipped egg:- + 0.31 parts water
+0.61 parts whole milk + 1/2
teaspoonful of castor oil.
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ANIMAL PRODUCTION
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Table showing the comparison of constituents between
Colostrum and Milk.
Constituents
Fat Gm/Kg
S.N.F. Gm/ Kg
Protein Gm/Kg
Casein Gm/Kg
Albumin Gm/Kg
Beta globulin Gm/Kg
Gamma Lactoglobulin Gm/Kg
Serum albumin Gm/Kg
Immunoglobulin Gm/Kg
Lactose Gm/Kg
Ash Gm/Kg
Calcium Gm/Kg
Phosphorus Gm/Kg
Iron Mg/Kg
Copper Mg/Kg
Cobalt Mug/Kg
Fat soluble vitamins.
A Mug/Gm of fat
D Mug/Gm of fat
E Mug/Gm of fat
Water soluble vitamins.
B - Complex
Thiamin Mg/Kg
Riboflavin Mg/Kg
Nicotinic acid Mg/Kg
Pantohenic acid Mg/Kg
B12 MuG/Kg
Folic acid Mug/Kg
Ascorbic acid Mg/Kg
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PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
Colostrum
36
185
143
52
15
8
2.7
1.3
55 - 68
31
9.7
2.6
2.4
2
0.6
5
42 - 48
Milk
35
86
32.5
26
4.7
3
1.3
1.4
0.9
46
7.5
1.3
1.1
0.1 - 0.7
0.1 - 0.3
0.5 - 0.6
8
23 - 45
100 - 150
15
20
0.61
4.5
0.81
2
10 - 15
1-8
25
0.4
1.5
0.8
3.5
5
1
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ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Teaching the Calf to
Drink.
Longer a calf nurses its dam the more
difficult it is to teach it to drink milk
from an ordinary pail. By instinct calf
stretches upwards to receive its
nourishment. When learning to drink
from ordinary pail, it must be taught to
bend down against the nature. There
is no better method of teaching calf to
drink from open pail than the simple
one of putting one’s fingers in its
mouth as explained below.
After the calf has been removed from
its mother it must be taught to drink
from a bucket or pail or a teat within
about 24 hours.
Train the calf to drink from a bucket
by backing into a corner, standing
astride its neck and placing two
fingers, moistened with milk, into its
mouth. As the calf starts to suck on
the fingers, gently lower its mouth into
a bucket of milk or colostrum. Take
care not to immerse the nostrils or it
may inhale milk.
Keep the palm of the hand away from
its nose as the calf starts to suck the
milk, gently withdraw the fingers. Hold
the bucket or have it supported about
300 mm from the ground.
This process should be repeated until
the calf is drinking by itself or until it
has drunk at least half a litre of milk.
You may need to help the calf for
several feeds.
NRTI, LOBESA
stage will reduce the calf’s ability to
survive.
It may be easier to train the calves
using warm milk (or colostrum),
changing to cool milk when they are
drinking satisfactorily.
Also it is generally easier to train a
calf to drink from a teat, probably due
to its natural inclination. This can
save time if many calves are to be
trained. The teat should be attached
to a tube that is filled with milk. As the
calf starts to suck, lower the tube into
the bucket of milk. The calf is usually
able to keep up the supply by suction.
The nipple pail has come into favour
with many calf raisers. It has the
advantage that the calf drinks milk
more easily through the nipple pail.
Drinking the milk more slowly will
cause milk to go directly to the
abomasum rather than to the rumen.
Milk going into rumen before calf is
ruminating is likely to cause digestive
trouble.
The calf should be fed the milk from
its own dam for a few days after
which it may be fed from the herd.
The amount of milk to feed young calf
depends on size of the calf. A general
rule is to feed about 1 Kg milk for
each 10 Kg body weight. The milk
should be fed in equal proportions
twice daily.
Although this is a time-consuming
procedure, patience will be rewarded
since the calf will get a better start. A
prolonged period of starvation at this
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
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ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Milk Temperature and Milk
Dilution.
Milk Temperature.
Many experiments have shown that
cool milk may be fed to calves without
affecting
their
performance.
Constancy of temperature is more
important than actual temperature,
provided milk is offered at the same
temperature every day that no
problems should be encountered.
Cool milk is milk at air temperature,
either collected for feeding before it
enters the bulk milk vat or allowed to
stand at air temperature for at least 56 hours before use. Feeding very cold
milk, such as milk removed directly
from the vat, may result in a lower
intake and therefore slower growth. A
constant temperature in cool milk
should be easier to obtain than in a
system where varying amounts of hot
water are added each day. If adding
hot water, a thermometer should be
used to check temperature. Testing
with the hand is unreliable.
Some of the fat-fortified calf milk
replacers do not mix well with cold
water, so temperature should be
adjusted for ease of mixing.
Milk dilution.
Milk is diluted for two reasons:
- as a means of warming with hot
water
- as a preventive or cure for scours.
Warming is not necessary unless the
milk is very cold. Excessive dilution
with water can reduce the intake or
nutrients, resulting in underfeeding.
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Regardless, calves will tend to
increase their intake of diluted milk up
to a point. This can mean that, in an
ad lib feeding system, for example,
net consumption of whole milk or calf
milk replacer may remain similar even
if the milk is diluted.
Similarly, dilution will not prevent
scouring, although it is useful as part
of a curative process.
If dilution is used, then not more than
25% of water should be added.
Dilution is not recommended if the
calves are fed once daily.
Feeding Whole Milk:
Calf may be fed as per feeding
schedule. While feeding whole milk
the following points should be
remembered:
 As far as possible provide milk
from the calf’s dam
 Feed milk immediately after it is
drawn
 At other times warm milk to body
temperature
 Feeding pails must be cleaned
and sanitized.
After feeding wash the muzzle of the
calf and rub with common salt grains.
This will prevent the calves licking
each other. While licking some hair is
being swallowed and forms hair balls
in the digestive tract and causes
digestive
disturbance.
Salt
bricks/blocks also may be hung in the
calf pens for licking.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Systems of Calf
Rearing.
1.
Nurse cow, Grain and Hay
method.
In this method cows, which have
attained fifth lactation, are used to
nurse the calves. Number of calves is
put for nursing depending upon the
production capacity of the nurse cow.
Grain and hay of good quality are fed
to the calves.
Whole Milk, Grain and Hay
Method:
2.
Up to the age of 3 months, whole milk
is given 1/10 of the body weight and
later on the calf is fed on grain and
hay.
3.
Skim Milk, Grain and Hay
Method:
Skim milk powder is reconstituted by
adding 1 part of milk powder to 9
litres of water (1:9) Though skim milk
is deficient in vitamins A and D it has
no effect in growth rate. At the age of
two weeks grain feeding and hay
feeding must be started ad lib.
4.
Limited Milk, Calf Starter
and Hay Method:
After 4 - 5 days of colostrum period,
the calf should be fed with whole milk
till 4 - 6 weeks, then the calf is put to
calf starter. Calf starter is made into
gruel and should contain C.P. 18% to
20%, T.D.N.of 72% to 78%. Ad lib
good quality hay is to be fed also.
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Ingredients of calf starter.
Commercial calf starter almost
universally contains vitamins A,D,E
and K and antibiotic supplement. The
following list of ingredients can make
a typical calf starter:
 Ground yellow maize
 Oats
 Alfalfa meal (Lucerne dried leaves
powder)
 Linseed oil meal
 Dried skim milk powder
 Dried whey
 Animal fat
 Can molasses
 Vitamin A supplement
 Antibiotic supplements
 Mineral supplements
 Common salt
5.
Milk Replacer, Calf
Starter, Grain and Hay
Method:
750 pounds to 800 pounds of milk is
used in whole milk system. 75
pounds to 100 pounds include
colostrum in this system, up to 10
days and maximum of 2 weeks. After
4 - 5 weeks of milk replacer, put on
the calf to calf starter. Milk replacer
must be as nutritious as milk and
must be from animal source like meat
meal, skim milk powder. It must also
have vitamin A and D. Usual calf
starter is used after 4 - 5 weeks of
milk replacer.
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ANIMAL PRODUCTION
1. Quality of Milk Replacer
2. It must be nutritionally adequate. It
should contain protein from
animal sources like meat meal,
skim milk powder. It should
contain high energy, minerals,
vitamins,
trace
elements,
carotene,
riboflavin,
biotin,
pantothenic acid.
If milk powder is not added in the calf
starter, brewer’s yeast must be added
to supplement B-complex group.
2.It must be palatable.
3.It must be easy to use.
4.It must be economical - it must be
cheaper than milk. 25 pounds of
replacer will replace 150 pounds of
whole milk.
6.
Feeding Calf Starter:
The expense and labour involved in
raising calves when either liquid
whole milk or skim milk is used have
caused many dairy farmers to turn
the calf to” Calf starter” method. Calf
starter is a mixture consisting of
ground farm grains, protein feeds and
minerals, vitamins and antibiotics.
One continues to feed whole milk to
calves receiving starter until the are at
least 1 - 10 weeks old. After a calf
attains the age of 2 weeks the
amount of whole milk given to it may
be cut down. Milk feeding is
especially helpful in promoting better
growth and vigour. Some calves may
not eat freely on starter and in such
cases milk feeding may be needed. It
may have to be continued for a long
time. One should then rub a small
amount of starter on the calf’s mouth,
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after each milk feeding for a few days
when the calf will be accustomed to it
. When they reach 4 months of age,
one should then transfer the calves to
a “growing” grain ration.
7.
Feeding Grain
Mixture:
Better growth and greater resistance
to
calf
ailments
result
from
consumption of both grain and milk
by the calf than when the calf is fed
only on milk. At the age of 7 - 15 days
the feeding of grain mixtures may be
started. In order to get calves
accustomed to grain mixtures, place
a small handful of grain mixture in the
used pail. As the calf is finishing its
milk it may consume a portion, or
one may otter a little in the hand
immediately after feeding milk.
For educated farmers it is desirable to
feed their cattle as per conventional
method,
i.e.,
based
on
the
requirement to DCP and TDN, which
are backed by scientific experiments.
A table of requirements of calf
growing @ 0.5 Kg per day during first
two years and reaching adult body
weight at the age of approximately 3
years is already given. Average
thumb rule requirement is discussed
below:
Excessive protein rich grain mixture is
not desirable as milk is already rich in
proteins. A medium high protein grain
mixture is most suitable when milk is
fed freely. A grain mixture of oats-35
percent, linseed cake- 5%, bran-3%,
barley-10% groundnut cake- 20%
may be fed to the calf. Another good
mixture consists of ground maize - 2
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
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parts, wheat bran - 2 parts, linseed
meal - 1 part.
teach the calf to drink from the pail.
After 24 hours weaning is that it can
get colostrum to the full amount.
8.
Advantages of Weaning:
Feeding Silage:
Calves at their ages between 3 - 6
months may be given small amounts
of silage. Feed 1 - 2 Kg daily to
calves aged up to 3 -4 months and
then increase these amounts by
about 500gm. per day for each month
of the calf’s age. Use every
precaution to ensure the quality of the
silage fed. Mouldy or damaged silage
may lead to indigestion.
WEANING:
There is a great variation in practice
regarding the best time to wean the
calf from the dam. Some successful
calf raisers take the calf away from its
dam at once without allowing it to
nurse at all. Others allow it to nurse
once, and still others allow it to
remain 2 - 3 days until the congestion
(oedema) is out of the udder and the
milk is suitable to put in the regular
supply. It probably has little difference
as to when the calf is removed from
the dam.
Weaning is the process of separating
calf from its mother. Weaning is done
to record the milk yield of cows and
for economic feeding of calves i.e.
giving exact quantity as per body
weight.
Weaning is done immediately after
birth or after 24 hours. But the most
common method of weaning is to
wean after 3 - 5 days of calving.
The reason for weaning on the very
first day is that it will be easier to
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI




If the calf dies accidentally, there
is no difficulty in regular milking of
the cow.
Calf can be fed economically, i.e.
according to its body weight and
thus prevent from diseases like
diarrhoea, scours, etc. which
result from uncontrolled feeding.
The actual yield of the cow can be
recorded.
Milking without calf is hygienic and
sanitary.
Disadvantages of weaning:

Weaning is difficult in indigenous
cows and buffalo cows because
they are more temperamental and
possess more maternal instinct.
STALLS FOR CALVES:
When a new born calf is removed
from the mother it should first be put
in individual stall. This stall should
contain about 25 square feet of
space. Thus isolated, the calf can be
taught to drink and kept away from
suckling
other
calves.
Some
dairymen prefer to keep their calves
in individual stalls throughout the milk
feeding period. Often several calves
are kept together in a large calf pen.
This pen should be provided with ties
(rings or pegs) so that the calves can
be fastened while being fed to ensure
that each one receives its proper
amount of feed. Each calf should be
11
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
fed individually, since some are fast
feeders and others are slow feeders.
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pasture near the building in which the
calves can graze and also exercise is
valued.
Keeping Pens Clean.
Calves should always have clean
pens. A great deal of liquid is
excreted by a calf. Damp beds are
cause of calf trouble. Any kind of
bedding is suitable if it is supplied.
(Saw dust is the best bedding
material. Straw or other dry roughage,
which is not fit for feeding, can be
used as bedding for the calves). It is
also advisable to give pens a
thorough cleaning and disinfecting
before new calves are put in them. A
good disinfectant is a 5% solution of
crude carbolic acid (phenol). Creolin
or Lysol can be used in 3 - 5%
solution
and
are
satisfactory
disinfectants. A raised floor in the calf
stall made of wood will aid in keeping
the pen dry.
Ventilation and Temperature.
A young calf must be protected from
cold breeze. It can withstand cold
temperature such as encountered in
loose housing when there are no
drafts. The calves should be
protected from rain and chilly wind.
Exercise.
Calf pen should be provided with
exercise yards. Although young calf
does not require a large amount of
exercise, it should have sufficient size
for the purpose. Direct sunlight is an
effective aid in preventing rickets.
Thus the calves over two months of
age, it is well to provide some clean
area into which they are turned on
sunny days. The yard should be
provided with shade. A well shaded
12
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
DEHORNING THE
CALF:
This is a process by which the horns
of an animal are removed after birth
by treating the tender horn roots with
a chemical, mechanical or electrical
dehorner. Dehorning in small calves
under (7 - 15) days of age is termed
disbudding. Dehorning of yearling
and older animals is painful and
results in considerable bleeding. The
practice is, therefore, to dehorn the
calf before it is 10 days old. Up to this
age the horn button does not become
attached to the skull.
Advantages:


Dehorned animal will need less
space in the sheds.
Horned animals are danger to the
operator.

Cattle with horns inflict bruises on
each other that may result in
heavy economic losses.

Dehorned animals can be handled
more easily.
Disadvantages of dehorning:


Animals with a nice horn have a
style. This sometimes is an
advantage in exhibition.
Some breeds have got an
important marks for horn e.g.
Kankrej, Kangayam, etc.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION

NRTI, LOBESA
Animals with horns can defend
themselves.
Methods of Dehorning:
(a) Chemical:
The chemicals commonly used are
caustic soda and caustic potash.
They come in a white stick about the
size a blackboard chalk or in a
commercially prepared dehorning
paste. The procedure to dehorn a calf
by caustic potash is as follows:




Clip the hair around the base of
the horn button in order to expose
the base of it for application of
the dehorning preparation. Apply
a ring of petroleum jelly near the
base of the horn button.
In using a caustic potash stick,
hold it carefully by the help of a
caustic potash holder and then
rub it over the button several
times using a circular motion, until
the skin at the base of the button
begins to soften and the button
bleeds slightly.
Treat the second button similarly.
Check the first button treated to
see if its base has been well
covered. The skin at the base will
crack easily if enough caustic has
been applied.
Confine the caustic to the very
base of the button. Any excess
may run, removing the hair from
the skin and injuring the eyes as
well.
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
Clip the hair around the
base of the horn
Apply a ring of petroleum jelly
Rub the caustic soda stick on the horn button
13
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
NRTI, LOBESA
(C) Electrical:
The electric rod which has a 1/2”
copper pipe burner is heated with
electricity and has an automatic
control that maintains temperature at
(B) Mechanical:
 Clippers and Saws:
When older cattle are to be
dehorned,
especially
designed
clippers or saws are used. A
considerable amount of bleeding may
follow during the operation. To
prevent bleeding, the main horn
artery should be tied off with a cotton
or silk thread. This may be done by
sliding a sewing needle under the
artery to pull thread in place before
tying. It is necessary when sawing or
clipping the horns, to take about onehalf inch of skin in order to get at the
horn roots.

Rubber Band:
Some
farmers
have
reported
successful in dehorning of older cattle
by using the rubber band method.
The chief advantage is that no open
wound results such as happens when
clippers or saws are used to dehorn.
The dehorning is accomplished by
first making a groove around the base
of the horn in about the same place it
would be cut with a saw or clipper,
and then using the elastrator to slip a
rubber band over the horn and into
the groove. The rubber band shuts off
the circulation and the horn gradually
comes off.
14
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
Press the electric dehoner 10
seconds on the horn bud.
about 1,000 0F. The inside of the
burning end is tooled to a sharp edge
with the outside of the straight
burning point. The tip of the
dehorning iron should be cherry red
and should never be held on the
head for more than 10 seconds.
Applying the electric dehorner to the
horn button for 10 seconds is
sufficient to destroy the horn cells.
Repeat application can be done if a
cooling off time between applications
is observed. A quick turn of the
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
dehorning tip after the horn area is
penetrated scoops out the horn
button. Sometimes pushing with the
operator’s thumb and using scissors
will finish removing the horn bud.
Reapplication of the hot iron to the
skin and subcutaneous area until it is
a leather brown colour is desirable.
CASTRATING THE BULL CALF
Castration is the unsexing of the male
or female and consists in the removal
of both testicles and ovaries
respectively. It is probably the most
common and oldest of all surgical
operations. Its objects are to prevent
reproduction, to increase faster gains,
to produce a more desirable type of
meat and to make the animal docile
and easier to handle.
NRTI, LOBESA



The cord does not slip away at the
time of operation.
Castrator should not press on any
folds of the skin.
The Burdizzo’s castrator is not
placed too low to crush the
testicles.
3. Castration with the help of rubber
band. The rubber band is placed
at the base of the scrotum with
the help of an elastrator and left
there. This creates a constant
pressure. When the testicles have
been absorbed, the ring drops
down.
IDENTIFICATION OF CALF.
There are three methods of castrating
a bull calf which are as follows:
It is desirable to mark all calves soon
after birth. The necessity of
identification is for maintenance of
proper records like pedigree, milk
production record, etc. Cattle can be
marked by ear tags. tattoo, number
tags attached round neck or horn,
branding and ear notches and
naming.

Ear Tags:
Calves, lambs and pigs should be
castrated while they are young; the
best time is between 8 - 10 weeks for
calves, about 2 weeks for lambs and
about 1 week for pigs.

By making an operation in the
scrotum where the vas deferens is
disconnected from the scrotum.
Thus the spermatozoa will not be
able to flow out of the penis.
Castration with the help of a
Burdizzo’s castrator. The method
is also known as “bloodless
castration”. The castrator crushes
each cord separately an inch or
two above the testicles. While
performing castration by this
method, the following precautions
should be taken:
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
Ear tags are metal pieces with
number or letters engraved on them.
A hole is made with an ear puncher
one third (1/3) of the way out from the
base of the ear on the upper edge of
the ear and the tags inserted.
Tattooing.
This is done with the tattoolator which
contains numbers from 0 - 9. The ear
is punched with the tattoolator and
tattoo ink applied. This is done in the
inside of the ear.
15
ANIMAL PRODUCTION


The disadvantage of this method
is that to read the number, the
animal has to be caught and the
ear has to be cleaned.
The disadvantage is that black
animals cannot be branded with
tattoo mark.
Number Tags.
These are metal tags large enough
with numbers engraved on them. The
metal tags are fastened to the neck
by means of chain. The disadvantage
of this method is that there is chance
of getting the tags lost.
NRTI, LOBESA
2. Cold Branding:
In this method the stamp is dipped in
the liquid nitrogen and applied in the
same manner as with hot iron.
Disadvantages:

Unavailability of liquid nitrogen

Only black coloured animals can
be branded

The wound may get infected with
bacteria and maggots.

Skin loses it value.
Branding.
Branding should be done at an early
age of the animal preferably before
the calf is weaned. There are two
methods of branding.
Hot Branding
In this method heated number of
symbol is gently pressed on the body
of the animal usually on the thigh
region. This causes partial burning of
the tissue and produces a permanent
scar of identical shape of the heated
number pressed on the body.
Ear Notching:
In this method ears are clipped with
the ear notching machine. A notch
represents the number depending on
whether in the top, bottom or end of
the ear and also on which ear it is.
Disadvantage:
Animals look ugly.
Disadvantages are:
REMOVING EXTRA TEAT:

The wound caused by branding
may get infected with bacteria and
maggots .

It is very painful to the animals

The skin of the animal loses its
value
Extra teat beyond the normal four are
unsightly and should be removed
when the calf if between one and two
months old. The best method of
removing an extra teat is to disinfect
the area around the teat and clip it off
with a pair of sterilised scissors.
Usually there is no bleeding, if at all
bleeding is considerable, holding a
cotton pack over the wound for a few
minutes will stop it.
16
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
DISEASES OF YOUNG DAIRY
CALVES.
Calf Scours:
There are many causes of disease
and death in calves. The two major
causes of problems in calves are:
 Gut problems leading to
scouring
 Pneumonia
These two causes account for over
80% of all losses in calves, with
scouring being the most common.
Bloat,
navel-ill,
accidents
and
poisoning make up most of the rest.
 Gut Problems.
These can be divided into three major
causes:



E.coli (white scours)
Salmonella
Rotavirus
All these can combine. The visible
signs as seen by the owner are
scouring, a dry coat, the calf is dull
and listless and in many cases dies in
a short time.
Scouring is the result of changed gut
function; that is, the germ makes the
gut work more quickly, which
increases the amount of manure the
calf passes.
Calves on a milk diet normally pass
only a small amount of droppings. If
the gut is affected the amount passed
can increase markedly. For example,
the amount of water passed in a
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
NRTI, LOBESA
scouring calf can be 20 times normal.
This extra water is mixed with salts
and other food, so the calf is losing
more than it can eat.
The loss of water and salts leads to
dehydration. This causes shock and
death. In other words, the germ that
started the scour is usually not the
direct cause of death. It is the shock
caused by the loss of body water and
salts that is the actual cause of death.
E.coli or white scours.
The germ produces a poison that
makes more fluid pass out than
normal. This causes the shock
mentioned above. On post-mortem a
calf that died from E. coli scours will
show no visible signs of having an
infection.
Salmonella.
These cause marked reddening of
the gut by invading the gut wall. The
result of this invasion is damage to
the tissue, so that water and food
cannot be absorbed. Salmonella can
readily invade the rest of the body,
causing blood poisoning and rapid
death.
Rotavirus.
This virus damages part of the gut so
that food is not used. This particularly
applies to milk, which then goes sour
in the gut.
The normal germs present increase
rapidly in this milk, producing poisons,
and so the gut works more rapidly to
remove them. The water and food is
also lost.
17
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Prevention of Scours.


The most important method of
prevention is to provide adequate
colostrums (beestings) in the first
few hours after birth.
Only in the first few hours or so
can a calf absorb the antibodies
from the colostrum it drinks to give
it immunity to many infections
present in the herd.
A calf needs about two litres of
colostrum milk. Remember that
heifer cows that do not mix with
the herd may not have enough
antibodies in their milk to provide
suitable protection to their calves.
To overcome this, and problems
with sick cows or cows dying at
calving, a store of frozen
colostrum should be kept if a
freezer is available.
Remember that colostrum is more
potent than any drug a
veterinarian can sell.

Provide adequate housing or
shelter from the weather to reduce
stress. Stress is important in
allowing scours to develop.

Maintain a suitable management
and feeding system. Overfeeding
and sudden changes of diet can
cause further stress.
Treatment of Scours.
The most important thing to do is to
replace the lost body water and salts.
This is done by using electrolytes in
18
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
NRTI, LOBESA
their correct concentration. The
earlier this is done, the better the
response. Antibiotics can be used if
necessary. A treatment programme
could be:

Replace all
electrolytes.

Use antibiotic if necessary.

Gradually replace electrolyte with
milk over several days.
the
milk
with
If calves are severely affected and do
not drink, it will be necessary to give
intravenous fluids. Force-feeding
usually
results
in
pneumonia,
because very sick calves cannot
swallow properly.
Make sure affected calves are warm
and dry. Exposure to the weather
when sick will make things worse.
PNEUMONIA.
Pneumonia is infection of the lungs
and has many causes. Lungworms
can play an important role in allowing
infection to enter the lungs. A calf that
survives pneumonia takes a long time
to recover. This usually means
stunted growth and poor production
as an adult.
Prevention is most important and this
is done by having suitable housing
with adequate ventilation. Stress
caused by exposure to cold, wet
conditions and inadequate feeding
can help a calf pick up pneumonia.
Treatment depends on the cause of
the infection.
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Other causes of death.
There are many other causes of
losses in calves but they tend to be
isolated. Sometimes these losses
may be severe on individual farms
and help should be sought in
identifying the cause.
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
NRTI, LOBESA
Things like plant poisoning, lead
poisoning, leptospirosis, incidental
infections and so on may occur,
because calves are curious and lick
or taste any object lying around.
Make sure that nothing is available
that may result in illness.
19
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
NRTI, LOBESA
HARMS CAUSED BY THE EXTERNAL
AND INTERNAL PARASITES.
1.
COMPETITION WITH HOST’S NUTRITION.
2.
DEFICIENCY OF NUTRIENTS IN HOST’S BODY.
3.
LOSS OF BLOOD.
4.
WEAKNESS - REDUCES HEALTH
5.
LOWERS
VITALLY
INFECTION
6.
MAKES PRONE TO INFECTION
7.
REDUCES
EFFICIENCY
8.
INFESTATION TO HUMAN BEINGS
9.
PRODUCTS LIKE
POOR QUALITY
AND
BREEDING
MEAT
RESISTANCE
AND
AND
TO
PRODUCTIVE
VEAL
ARE
OF
10. SKIN DISEASES
11. ECONOMIC LOSS BY LOWERING PRODUCTION
12. USE OF DRUGS AND INSECTICIDES ADDS TO
EXPENSES AND LOSS
20
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
NRTI, LOBESA
Calf Feeding Schedule (Day 0 to Six Months)
Age
2nd week
Colostrum
(Lit.)
10% body
weight for three
days
-
3rd week
-
4th week
-
5th week
-
6th week
-
7th week
-
8th week
-
3rd month
4th month
5th month
6th month
-
1st week
Whole milk (Lit.)
2.5 - 3.5
(4th to 7th day)
3 - 3.5
(4 - 4.5
bottles/day)
3.5 - 4 (4.5 - 5
bottles / day)
3.5 - 4 ( 4.5 - 5
bottles/ day)
@ 8% of Body
Weight.
@ 6% of Body
Weight.
@ 4% of Body
Weight.
@ 2% of Body
Weight.
Stop feeding milk
-
Calf Starter
(Kg)
-
Green hay (Kg)
-
-
0.050
0.1
0.050
0.2
0.200
0.5
0.300
0.5
0.300
1.0
0.500
1.0
0.500
0.750
1.00
1.500
2.0
3.0
4.0
7.0
-
Milk feeding schedule for raising dairy calves.
Body wt. (Kg)
Up to 25
20 - 30
25 - 50
30 - 60
40 - 75
PREPARED BY TSHEWANG DORJI
Calf age
(days)
Up to 5
6 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 60
61 - 100
Colostrum
(Lit.)
10% of b.w.
-
Whole milk
(Lit.)
10% of b.w.
15% of b.w.
20% of b.w.
25% of b.w.
Skim milk
(Lit.)
20% of b.w.
25% of b.w.
25% of b.w.
21