Calf rearing using a once-a-day milk feeding system: current best practice

Abstract

Beef produced from bulls of dairy origin constitutes a significant component of total production, with up to 700,000 calves reared annually. These calves ae reared on a wide range of artificail rearing systems although once-a-day milk feeding of calves has become the norm in recent years. Successful calf rearing can be achieved by attention to detail and by essentially 'following the recipe'. This paper will outline the 'best practice' calf rearing undertaken at Poukawa and cover the critical areas of calf rearing such as rearing facilities, calf procurement, milk and meal feeding, weaning, post weaning management and animal health. Keywords: animal health, calf rearing, once-a-day feeding, procurement, rearing facilities