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There is a chill in the air!

In the video above I outline three very simple steps to tackle issues when the temperature drops outside. This, especially if prolonged can have an impact on calf health and performance.

A young dairy calf generates very little heat in the first few weeks of life. Their critical lower temperature is 10 degrees. With some authors suggesting it is 15 degrees Celsius for the first 2 weeks.

This simply means below this lower critical temperature the calf must work hard to stay warm. This means more energy is used just heating themselves up. This obviously gets more severe the lower the temperature gets.

When calves begin ruminal development then their tolerance for cold is much greater. With adult cows preferring temperatures between 0-10 degrees Celsius.

3 top tips for cold weather

There are 3 very simple ways to tackle times or periods of cold weather when managing dairy calves

  1. Plenty dry straw bedding in a well-ventilated shed with good drainage
  2. Feeding more milk
  3. Calf jackets provide an extra layer of insulation

We must remember that cold if prolonged can also suppress immunity and also provides favourable conditions for viral replication.

Having calves warm, snug and feeding well is the place we want to be. Comfortable calves will perform better.

Heat lamps can also provide areas of warmth in sheds. Be careful that they are in well ventilated and dry parts of the shed. Excessive heat and moisture can sometimes make these areas good places for bacterial growth. They also if not set up correctly pose a potential fire hazard. It also should be noted that some farms will feed milk warm to calves which also helps in periods of cold weather.

Happy safe farming

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