PSV-14 - Body weight development of calves during the first week of life

Abstract: Under practical conditions calves often do not gain weight during their first week of life. However, early life development of calves plays an important role in later life performance as dairy cow (Britney et al. 1984; Soberon und van Amburgh 2013). Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine influencing factors on 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 (d) of their life. During the first week, calves were fed their dams colostrum and milk 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, bodyweight (BW) (birthweight 42.2-52.6 kg) increased rapidly (daily weight gain 1.52-2.29 kg per day) up to the end of the observation period. Calves with higher Birthweight reached higher BW at d 7 (52.9-68.2 kg). All calves showed high milk consumption when offered their dams milk (2-11.14% of bodyweight per serving, mean: 7.7-8.8% of bodyweight per serving). Due to the continuous weight monitoring, BW development could be visualized as a sawblade like line. With every feeding event the weight peaked, followed by a phase of continuous weight 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 comparably high for all calves. Altogether, 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.