Calf Rearing: Colostrum, Navel Care and the First 90 Days

Calves are the future herd, yet calf deaths — especially buffalo calves — remain high on many farms. Most losses happen in the first weeks and most are preventable.

Colostrum: the first and most important feed

Colostrum (the first thick milk, "bohli") carries the antibodies a newborn calf needs, because calves are born with almost no immunity of their own.

• Feed the first colostrum within 1–2 hours of birth. The calf's ability to absorb antibodies falls quickly after that.
• A common guideline is about 10% of body weight in the first 12 hours — for a 30 kg calf, roughly 3 litres soon after birth and more within 12 hours.
• Use clean bottles or buckets.

Colostrum quality and storage

• The first milking after calving has the most antibodies; later milkings contain much less.
• Thick, creamy colostrum is usually better than thin, watery colostrum. A colostrometer or Brix refractometer gives an objective reading if you have one.
• Extra good-quality colostrum can be frozen in clean, labelled bottles and thawed gently in warm (not boiling) water when a calf's mother has none or too little.
• If the mother is sick or has mastitis in several quarters, use stored colostrum from a healthy animal instead.

Navel care

Dip the navel in a suitable disinfectant (such as iodine solution) soon after birth to prevent navel infection.

Housing

• Clean, dry, well-bedded and draught-free, with shade in summer.
• Keep young calves separate from adult animals to reduce disease spread.

Milk and starter feed

• Feed milk at regular times, in clean utensils, at body temperature.
• Offer clean water and a small amount of calf starter and good hay from the first week to develop the rumen.

Watch for diarrhoea and pneumonia

These are the most common calf killers. Act early: a calf with diarrhoea needs fluids and electrolytes quickly — ask your vet. Record every case so you can find the cause.

Vaccination and deworming

Ask your veterinarian for a calf health plan suited to your area. It usually includes deworming at intervals in the first months, vaccinations from the ages recommended on each product (for example FMD), and brucellosis vaccination for female calves between about 4 and 8 months. Record every dose with the date so the next one is not missed.

Weaning

Wean when the calf eats starter steadily and is growing well, typically around 2–3 months. Reduce milk gradually over a week or two rather than stopping suddenly, and keep the calf's diet and housing the same during weaning to limit stress.

Weigh calves regularly, or measure the heart girth with a weigh tape if you do not have a scale. Growth records show whether rearing is working and help you decide which heifers to keep as future milkers. A heifer that grows well can be bred earlier and starts producing milk sooner, which is one of the cheapest ways to grow a herd.