The AgriPost Promote Good Rumen Development in Dairy Calves

Whenever I visit a dairy barn, I take a tour of the calf barn and post-weaning pens. When the milkfed calves are healthy and frisky, I am confident that they are on a good feeding and management program. Then, I move onto where the post-weaned/unbred replacement heifers are being housed. If they are also doing well, I am also assured that good feed is being put in front of them and they are well-treated. Such observations demonstrate that good calves are being raised. Yet, it is also an indication that good internal rumen development is in the works, which turns these calves into profitable milk-cows.

Unlike a mature cow with a fully functioning rumen that can digest a variety of forages and feeds; the newborn calf is limited to digesting milk-based meals. That’s because, its rumen is small (25% of her total gut capacity), sterile and non-functional at birth. Yet in about 12 weeks time, the same calf adopts the necessary microbes from its feed and surrounding environment to enlarge rumen capacity as well as transforms it into a digestive-working organ like an adult.

Consequently, the diet fed to the growing calf during this time, matters. Feeding accelerated amounts of milk or milk replacer promotes good growth, but it contributes little to its rumen development. It’s the accompanied calf starter, which is usually introduced at two-week old of age that starts rumen maturation. Namely, the initial digestion of calf starter starch, which produces important propionic and butyric volatile fatty acids.

Propionic acid is absorbed across the rumen wall and is transported to the liver and metabolized to help meet the calf’s body energy requirements. In turn, butyric acid is taken up by the ruminal wall cells, but is metabolized only there. As a result, papillae start to grow from the inner rumen wall. These fingerlike projections allow for greater surface area, which dovetails into greater nutrient absorption used for vital functions and growth as the calf becomes older.

The accompanied Penn State University photo illustrates that inner wall of the reticulum (honey-comb part) and rumen from euthanized six-week-old calves, which were fed milk and calf starter. They resemble a deep-piled carpet - lined with many papillae. Its’ rich dark color is due to large blood vessels and capillaries (better for nutrient absorption). Furthermore, their research demonstrates that these calves fed grain/calf starter until about 12 weeks of age had the greatest papillae development and rumen enlargement. Plus, there is an unseen proliferation of forage, grain-digesting bacteria plus protozoa filling the liquid pool in the rumen; so ultimately a variety of diets can be fed.

Such natural rumen development due to calf starter/grain can be easily promoted. That is why, I recommend that less than 0.5 kilo of texturized 21% protein calf starter be fed to milk-fed calves at about twoweeks of age.

This amount should be built up to about 1.0 – 1.2 kilos by the time they are weaned at 6 – 8 weeks of age. After calves are weaned, they should be transitioned onto 18% texturized or pelleted calf grower diet to be fed up to 2.5 kilos per day. As a result, calves should maintain a good growth rate of about 800 – 900 grams per head per day. Finally, I would wait until they are about 10 – 12 weeks of age, before any significant quantity of forage is fed.

Free-choice water should be also be provided next to a bucket of calf starter, despite calves being milk-fed, since the natural water requirement of pre-weaned calves is higher than what water in milk or milk replacer solution provide. Extra water not only contributes to good rumen development, but it helps maintain rumen pH by dilution of built-up rumen acids from the digestion of calf starter. As well as water forces small particles of starch (and sugar) into the abomasum, which are completely digested. Plus, wa- ter availability and quality are going to be even more important, once these calves are weaned, because it’s going to be their only source to meet essential water requirements.

Regardless, good science has proven that high-quality calf starter/grower diets fed to milk-fed and post-weaned calves plays an integral role in their good rumen development. On the farm, we actually cannot see good rumen development happening, but we can definitely see these calves achieve good growth rates (as well as optimum body condition) and later-on as they turn into 1st lactation milking cows.

Feeding accelerated amounts of milk or milk replacer promotes good growth in the first weeks, but it contributes little to its rumen development. It’s the accompanied calf starter, which is usually introduced at two-week old of age that starts rumen maturation. Namely, the initial digestion of calf starter starch, which produces important propionic and butyric volatile fatty acids.

Submitted photo

Canadian Pork Producers Disappointed with UK’s Misleading Positioning on Trade Issues

The Canadian Pork Council is disappointed with the United Kingdom’s (UK) misleading positioning on trade issues.

The Government of Canada’s acceptance of UK restrictions on access to products in the TransPacific Partnership Agreements, “Is a further indication our negotiators tie one hand behind their backs as they pursue rules-based trade,” the group shared.

“Rules-based free trade requires both sides agree to follow the rules, and in this case, the United Kingdom is not, and has no intention of doing so,” CPC chair Rene Roy said in a release. “We need to have a more realistic view of our trading partners and stop expecting other countries to have our best interests at heart.”

The UK needed this deal more than Canada did, Roy explained.

“Yet, we gave more than we needed to allow them access to a global market,” he said. “We would be happy to work with the Gov- ernment of Canada to help our negotiators get better at developing non-tariff trade barriers as we need to retaliate against unfair partners.”

Even worse, Roy pointed out that the UK has made deliberate misleading statements about Canadian pork.

“We do not use added growth hormones in Canadian pork,” Roy clarified.

“Our food inspection and safety system is second to none, and in fact, is superior to the United Kingdom’s,” said Roy. “The Government of Canada must defend its system more aggressively to keep falsehoods from being repeated by our trading partners.”

Roy emphasized that this trade agreement does not improve trade in the agriculture sector between Canada and the UK. He urges government leaders to do more work before it’s ratified.

“There’s still time – it has not passed Parliamentary approval, so we can figure this out before we’ve signed a bad deal,” he said in a release.