Newborn Calf Care

Calving season can be one of the most labor intensive, but also most rewarding parts of a

cattleman’s year. Once the calf is born, proper environment, nutrition, and health are important considerations. Early observation, and intervention, if needed, can help set up calves for a lifetime of good health.

Environment: 

Ensuring the calf is born into a warm, clean environment significantly reduces health complications such as scours in the first weeks of life. Reducing mud and manure in calving areas in addition to providing dry, clean bedding such as straw will reduce exposure to scours-causing pathogens and allow the calf to dry off and warm up quicker. This can reduce the time between birth and the calf rising to nurse. Deeper bedding should be provided in colder weather to help ensure the calf is well insulated when bedded down.

Nutrition:

Colostrum is vital for the long term health of calves. Colostrum is the first, antibody and nutrient-rich milk a cow produces. No immunity against diseases is passed from the cow to the calf during pregnancy. Colostrum is the only mechanism for antibodies against bacteria and viruses to be passed from the cow to the calf. There is a relatively narrow window after birth where the calf’s body is able to fully absorb the antibodies in colostrum. Right after birth, transfer is highest, decreasing until 24 hours after birth, when those antibodies are no longer able to be absorbed by the calf. Ideally, colostrum is consumed in the first 1 to 2 hours after birth. If the calf is slow to nurse, it may be necessary to assist the calf by helping it stand and/or putting the cow in a chute to allow the calf to nurse. It may even be necessary to milk out the colostrum to give to the calf through a bottle or esophageal feeding tube or provide a commercially available colostrum replacer. Note: when purchasing colostrum replacer to have on hand, there is a difference between colostrum supplements and replacers with the replacer being significantly higher in antibodies. If you plan to purchase one to keep on hand, it is worth purchasing a high-quality colostrum replacer.

Management and Health Care:

Many producers elect to complete general management tasks within the first day of life. These can include tagging calves, banding bull calves, and collecting records such as dam, date of birth, gender and birthweight. Some people elect to vaccinate calves at this time as well. Intranasal respiratory vaccines can be safely administered at this time and come in single dose vials that can be easily mixed just prior to administration. Depending on herd health history, some may also choose to administer a clostridial vaccine at birth. The decision to vaccinate calves at birth depends on the health history of the dams and calves in previous years. We would be happy to consult with you to determine what are best management practices for your specific herd.

Until the umbilical cord dries up and falls off, it can be a route for bacteria to enter the calf’s body, causing a localized umbilical abscess, or a more severe infection such as a joint infection and septicemia (a blood-borne bacterial infection). Iodine applied to the umbilical cord can serve 2 purposes: 1) acting as an antibacterial agent to kill any bacteria present on the cord, and 2) assist in drying out the umbilical stump to help it heal faster. Iodine can be applied with a spray bottle or the umbilical stump can be dipped into the iodine.

A quick general health inspection can provide vital information about future care of the calf. There are some common birth defects in calves that can be easily identified at birth and early identification can allow for surgical intervention or provide information regarding the calf’s prognosis. A few common birth defects are listed below.

Cleft palate: An inappropriate opening in the roof of the mouth, allowing milk to go into the nose and  respiratory system. This is typically not a repairable defect but is important to recognize early because these calves will often suffer from lifelong complications.

Umbilical hernia: An enlarged opening in the body wall where the umbilical cord was attached. Rarely, the opening can be large enough that intestines will fall through the body wall. If you see a large swelling at the umbilicus in a newborn calf, this could be a hernia that needs to be surgically corrected as soon as possible.

Flexure Tendon Contracture: The front legs cannot be fully straightened. These calves will try to rise and walk, but will often not be able to place their front feet flat on the ground. They will instead use their front knees to walk, eventually causing sores and other joint issues. When identified at birth, splints can be successfully placed on the front legs to straighten the joint. Over time, the weight of the calf walking with the splint will cause the tendon to stretch and the legs to be straightened without splints. 

Atresia Ani: The calf is lacking an anus, so the calf’s intestine ends in a blind sack where feces builds up instead of exiting the body. If identified early, this can be surgically corrected. A quick look under the tail is sufficient to identify this problem if present.

We would be happy to assist you in developing a protocol for newborn calf care specific for your operation. Please reach out to us at Apogee Animal Health to discuss further!