Are you offering your calves ad lib water?
16 December 2009
Are you offering your calves ad lib water?
Water is essential for all forms of life, and it goes without saying for calves too. Why? Ad-lib clean water is a prerequisite for early solid feed intake, good rumen development and subsequent growth. Provision of water is also among one of the five key freedoms that every calf has a right to; freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition.
However, a Volac survey among 340 farmers with computerised feeding systems found that almost 10% failed to provide their calves with ad-lib water until they had reached an average of 25 days of age, while some did not introduce water at all until weaning.
“The results were very surprising, particularly since the survey was conducted among farmers who would otherwise be considered to have been among the more progressive and technically aware,” comments Volac’s Maggie Gould. “Yet it seems that farmers are confusing milk and water and their specific fate and value to the calf. Milk is a feed which bypasses the rumen and is digested in the abomasum.
“In contrast, water should be viewed as an essential ‘drink’ as, without this, the calf will eat less dry concentrate feed and this in turn will delay rumen development” she explains. “Imagine eating a packet of cream crackers without a glass of water or cup of tea to hand; it’s exactly the same scenario for a calf. For a calf to achieve a healthy well developed rumen prior to weaning and subsequently avoid suffering any post weaning checks, then it must be fed not only its milk replacer feed, but also an ad-lib supply of clean drinking water to ensure maximum uptake of dry food – concentrate and also straw.”
Trials carried out by Volac clearly demonstrated that calves offered water, regardless of the amount of milk fed, consumed higher levels of concentrate and had higher daily live weight gains to weaning, says Mrs Gould . Overall liveweight gain to weaning was reduced by over 33% in calves which were not offered water up to weaning. See table 1. Furthermore, the benefit from improved early growth continued through to 11 weeks.
Table 1: Rumen development and water intake
|
Milk replacer fed
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Low (21.6kgs/calf)
|
High (32.4 kgs/calf)
|
|
Water available to weaning
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Calf liveweight at start (kg)
|
52.7
|
45.8
|
56.3
|
50.1
|
|
DLWG to weaning (kg)
|
0.33
|
0.55
|
0.43
|
0.65
|
|
Calf starter concentrate to weaning (kg)
|
10.4
|
26.3
|
10.0
|
25.4
|
|
Calf liveweight at 11 weeks (kg)
|
97.8
|
99.6
|
106.2
|
111.8
|
Source: WIRS/Volac
Research carried out in the USA also reported similar results, with a 38% reduction in liveweight gain when calves were not provided with water up to weaning.
“Farmers must also remember calves drinking large volumes of milk still require an ad-lib supply of fresh water. Trials carried out by Volac at an independent unit rearing dairy bull calves demonstrated that calves drinking up to eight litres of calf milk replacer per day had a voluntary intake of more than two litres of water per day as they headed towards weaning age and that there was a close link between water and solid feed intake.”
She adds: “Getting calves off to a flying start is all about providing a comprehensive feeding programme, which includes clean ad-lib water that will improve rumen digestion and in turn take advantage of the calf’s huge potential for fast, efficient growth.”
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