STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE: CALF REARING SCHEME, First 3 months of age

DAY/ CONCENTRATE*
WEEK FREQUENCY/KGS * ROUGHAGE*** REMARKS
Immediate & 4-6
0-1 Colos times in total: 20% from the
DAY* trum 5-6 litres first day 0 0 body weight

2nd Colos 2-4 times x 1 litre 10% from the

DAY* trum = 4litres this day 0 0 body weight
3rd Colos
DAY* trum 2 x 1.75 litres 0 0
4-7th Milk Warm and Fresh Fresh water two
DAY (NB) 2 x 1.5 litres 0 0 hours after milk!
2nd 2 x 1.75 litres 2x Handful: all to
WEEK Milk Handluke warm be eaten! 0 ‘’

3rd 2 x 2 litres 2x Handful: all to

WEEK Milk Handluke warm be eaten! 0 ‘’

A little bundle of
4th Quality hay: ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 2 litres 1/4-1/2 Kg Grass or Lucerne
5th ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 2 litres 1/2 Kg
6th ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 2 litres 1/2 Kg
7th ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 2 litres 1/2- 1 Kg
8th ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 2 litres 1Kg
9th ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 1.75 litres 1Kg
10th TO ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 1.5 litres 1Kg BE
11th INCREASED ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 1.5 litres 1Kg PROGRESSIVELY
12th FROM WEEK ‘’
WEEK Milk 2 x 1 liter 1.5 Kg 5-12

NB: It is preferable that the milk fed should be from the mother.

Daily Growing Dairy

COLOSTRUM*:

• After birth, calf should receive within 30 minutes colostrum of good quality!
• Within 24 hours after birth calf must have drunk 5,5-6 litres of colostrum in
small portions, quality colostrum first 24 hours is the best!

CONCENTRATES**:

• Concentrates will stimulate growth of rumen-wall. Until 2nd week the calf
should have access to easy degradable, protein-rich and tasty concentrates.
Calf needs to get used to other feedstuffs than milk!
• Make sure that the calf eats ‘all it can eat’ every day!

HAY***: (good grass or Lucerne hay, in later stage some quality maize silage)

• Roughage stimulates growth of muscles within the rumen. Hay also

stimulates growth of the other stomachs.
• Supply from the 4th week onwards. Only the best quality (smell it! /leaves/
fibre-rich) counts, no fungi inside! From 12th week same feed as fed in
weeks thereafter, no abrupt changes (feed/housing) during weaning!

*Prepared by Wytze Heida, For Perfometer

Daily Growing Dairy