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| Young stock rearing is an important part of dairy farming. Here the foundation is laid for the high-yielding dairy cow of the future. Young stock rearing has proven to be of great influence on future performance. |
| The first few months in a calf’s life are much more important than most people realise. Proper attention should be paid to the rearing of young calves and no details should be overlooked. Therefore, the person in charge of calf rearing has one of the most responsible jobs on the farm. He or she must be fully aware of this responsibility to get the highest possible results. |
| The purpose of rearing young stock is to raise well-developed heifers, able to calve at an early age without calving difficulties. The advantages of calving at an early age are, lower rearing costs, early productivity and consequently a higher life-time milk production, thus making the cows more profitable. |
| For the prevention of calving difficulties it is essential that heifers are well developed. The optimal time for first insemination of a heifer depends more on body-weight than on age. Some heifers achieve the desired weight at 14 months, whereas others do not reach it before 16 months of age. Therefore, the proper age for insemination and consequently for calving is determined by the development of the heifer. Through good stock rearing it is possible to inseminate the heifers at an average age of 14-15 months, which results in an average age at calving of about 24 months. |
| Good calf rearing starts before the calf is born. A hygienic environment during the birth process is essential to prevent diseases. A newly born calf does not have antibodies for protection against diseases and therefore depends entirely on its mother's colostrum for protection. It is recommended that the calf should receive approximately 4 litres of colostrum within its first six hours and colostrum should continue to be fed for at least three days after birth. |
| When the calf is 3-4 days old, together with high quality roughage, a handful of Mason's Coarse Calf Starter should be supplied as an appetiser. This crunchy mix of top quality ingredients is highly palatable and will encourage the calves to start eating at a very young age. Gradually increase the amount of calf meal fed to 1 kg per day at 6 weeks, then steadily increase it to 2 kgs per calf per day. |
| The Coarse Calf Starter should be replaced by Mason's Coarse Calf Rearer Meal at 6-7 weeks of age and the amount gradually increased to 2.5 kg per day. This ration should be fed until the calf is 3-4 months of age. |
| Mason’s Supreme Heifer feed is now available in meal or nuts and should be fed as a follow on from Calf Rearer. This ration is a high protein, lower energy feed, formulated to give good height to the heifers at insemination (40-50 inches at 14 months), without depositing fat around the udder during its development, and aiming for a live weight of 385 kg at the age of 14 months. |
| The emphasis on rearing young stock should be placed on the prevention of rearing diseases and upon nutrition in order to achieve the recommended rates of growth. |
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