11/06/2023
Cattle Newborn Calf Care:
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The golden hour: The first hour after calving is the most critical period in the entire life of a new born calf.
points to remember:
1) Clean nostrils and mouth which helps the calf breathe better and help prevent future breathing problems.
2) Allow the mother to lick the calf clean which promotes blood circulation within the calf’s body and prepares the calf to stand up and walk.
3) Cut the navel cord at a distance of around 2 inches from the base with a clean instrument.
4) Dip the navel (a simple smearing will not serve the purpose) in 3.5% or higher tincture of iodine solution ensuring a minimum contact time of at least 30 seconds.
5) Tie the exposed end of the cord with a clean thread to close the opening.
6) Repeat navel dipping after 12 hours. A poorly maintained navel is the gateway to serious infections.
7) A new born calf should be given Ad-libitum colostrum within the first 2 hours of birth and 1-2 litres (based on size) within 8-12 hours of birth. Fed Colostrum to calf after every 8 hours of first 24 hours after birth. Feeding colostrum after 24 hours of birth may not help the calf to ward off infections.
8) Many calves do not nurse adequate amount of colostrum from their dams within the first few hours of life, and thus they may not receive adequate immunity. In that case fed colostrum to calf with the help of gastric tube.
9) A calf must receive adequate colostrum to protect itself from diseases for the first three months of its life. Colostrum is the calf’s “passport to life”.
10) Hand-feeding new-born calves is therefore recommended so that the farmer is sure about the amount of colostrum an individual calf receives.
11) De-worming should be done within 10-14 days of age subsequently on a monthly basis up to the 6th month of age, then after every 3 months.
12) Properly Follow Vaccination Schedule In Calves (Depends On Area wise disease Prevalence & Breed). Contact the veterinarian for this.
13) Provide calf starter from 3rd Day Of Birth to onward for better growth and early maturity.
