Dairy consultant, Colin Lotzof, brings a commercially driven approach to calf rearing, shaped by experience in both pasture-based and intensive dairy systems across South Africa and Israel. During a recent dairy consulting day event hosted by Milne Feeds, he shared strategies to optimise early nutrition and structure feeding programs that improve long-term production efficiencies. His main message - the first 4 months of a calf’s life are critical for establishing feed conversion efficiency, which directly influences future milk yield.
Below are some of the feeding strategies he outlined to improve calf rumen development:
· Immediate Post-Birth Care
Colostrum should be delivered within 4 hours of birth to ensure maximum antibody absorption. Poor colostrum timing or quality increases health risks and lowers immune resilience. Essentially, the sooner colostrum can be consumed, the better. Using colostrum from multiple cows can vastly improve immune protection by offering a broader antibody profile, however, this is not always viable.
Umbilical care is also essential. Colin suggests that dipping the cord in iodine is far more effective than spraying, as it allows the sterilising agent to be drawn up into the cord, providing better protection against infection. Drawing nutrients into the calf, after all, is what the umbilical cord is designed to do.
· Feeding for Rumen Development
Rumen development starts early and is heavily influenced by feeding practices. Calves should reach an intake of 5-6 litres of milk per day as quickly as possible. Intake below this level limits energy and protein supply, which restricts growth. To help reach the desired intake, the focus should be on milk consumption at feeding time, rather than on water intake. In the ideal situation, milk passes into the abomasum, and water into the rumen, therefore avoiding digestive interference. A helpful tip is adding one tablespoon of vinegar per 6 litres of milk. This can assist with pH balance and curdling, helping to reduce the risk of scouring. When looking at the cost versus the benefit here, it’s a simple, effective and cheap insurance. Calves should be fully weaned by 8 weeks of age, with unrestricted access to Milne Feeds’ CalfGro pellets from day 1 of weaning.
· Immune Support and Environmental Health
Vitamin and mineral supplementation strengthen immune function. Supplementing with vitamins A, D and E, along with selenium, is recommended to reduce disease risk and support calf development. Milne Feeds’ CalfGro contains a vitamin and mineral premix designed to support young calves.
Maintaining hygiene and airflow in the calf environment is essential for preventing pneumonia. Dry bedding, low dust levels and good ventilation reduce exposure to respiratory pathogens.
Flies negatively affect calf development by spreading disease and increasing stress. High stress levels reduce performance and disrupt rumen function. Fly control methods such as Flybuster help reduce this pressure and have been shown to increase milk production by up to 2 litres per cow per day.
In summary, tracking calf performance and maintaining early nutrition and hygiene are essential to developing high-performing dairy cows. The investment in early care translates directly into lifetime productivity.
For more information on Milne Feeds CalfGro pellets or Flybuster, contact Jonathan Langan on 0407 766 444.
