PSV-14 Body Weight Development of Calves During the First Week of Life

Abstract

Abstract Under practical conditions calves often do not gain body weight (BW) during their first week of life. However, early life development of calves has an important role in later life performance as dairy cow (Britney et al., 1984; Soberon and van Amburgh, 2013). Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine influencing factors on body weight gain of calves during this period when fed their dams colostrum and milk. Five Calves (4 Brown Swiss, 1 Friesean x Brown Swiss) were individually housed in calf hutches. All hutches were placed on continuously weight recording scales (recording interval 10 seconds). Calves were housed immediately after birth until day 7 of their life. During the first week, calves were fed colostrum and milk from their dam twice a day ad libitum until drinking was terminated for at least one minute. Not-consumed milk was weighed and milk consumption was calculated. Urine was collected and weighed twice daily. When fed colostrum and milk of their dams during the first week of life, BW (birthweight 42.2 to 52.6 kg) increased rapidly (daily BW gain 1.52 to 2.29 kg per day) up to the end of the observation period. Calves with greater birthweight reached heavier BW at d 7 (52.9 to 68.2 kg). All calves showed increased milk consumption when offered their dams milk (2 to 11.14% of BW per serving, mean = 7.7to 8.8% of BWt per serving). Due to the continuous weight monitoring, BW development could be visualized as a sawblade like line. With every feeding event the BW peaked, followed by a phase of continuous BW loss. Interestingly absence of BW gain occurred during the first 48h when calves did not yet understand how to drink from the nipple bucket where colostrum or milk was offered. BW gain and milk consumption were increased for all calves. Together, learning how to drink early in life and human support of this process can positively influence early life development. Britney et al. (1984) In: Preventive veterinary medicine 3 (1), S. 45–52. DOI: 10.1016/0167-5877(84)90023-0.Soberon, F.; van Amburgh, M. E. (2013) In: Journal of Animal Science 91 (2), S. 706–712. DOI: 10.2527/jas.2012-5834.