Livestock Management RANCHING
during February or March calving, but it also has implications for all ranchers who will need to know when their cows have calved and whether the offspring have received the critical early nourishment and antibodies. Commercial colostrum products can be substituted
if a calf is too weak to stand and be fed, if the cow does not produce colostrums, or with fi rst-calf heifers who may produce poor quality colostrums. But Hutcheson emphasizes that those products are not as good for the calf as its mother’s milk. And neither the commercial product nor the real thing will do its work unless pro- vided to the calf within that fi rst 12 hour window. In addition to the antibodies, there is the actual nu-
trition of colostrums. Hutcheson says, “The colostrum contains 17 to 18 percent protein. It has high fat con- tent and the total solids in that milk are about 25 to 27 percent. Within hours after calving, that will reduce to about 6 percent protein, and from 14 down to about 10 percent solids. The colostrum contains protein and energy (fat and lactose) that are necessary for a healthy start.”
Meet the cow’s nutritional needs during transition Following the initial dose of colostrum, the cow will
transition to providing regular milk. Hutcheson says this will provide adequate nutrition until the calf starts to turn to the same feed sources as are available to the mother, and able to gradually take full advantage of the feed as its rumen develops. He says a creep feed, that only the calf has access to, can be very benefi cial any time after 4 to 6 weeks and will increase the weight of the calf at weaning. During the 90 days after calving, when the cow is
contributing to the nutrition of the calf through her milk, she is also going to be bred to have another calf. The cow’s nutrition is extremely important at this time. It can affect both the cow and calf if her nutrition level is not adequate to promote both calf nutrition and re- breeding. The nutritional needs of the cow prior to, and after calving, are in Table 3. Hutcheson sums up by saying the cow needs more
Table 2 – Transition of colostrum to milk
Time after Calving (hour)
0 6
12 24
Total Protein Percent
17.6 10.0 6.0 4.5
52 The Cattleman March 2015
Casein percent
5.1 3.5 3.0 2.8
Albumin percent
11.3 5.3 3.0 1.5
Fat percent
5.1 5.8 3.8 3.4
Lactose percent
2.2 2.7 3.7 4.0
Total Solids percent
27.0 20.5 14.5 12.8
thecattlemanmagazine.com
energy at this time than it did previously. The cow also needs at least a couple pounds of protein per day to enhance its milk production. Hay, combined with 6 to 8 pounds of a good 20 percent protein complete supplement, should be suffi cient. The amount of the supplement is dictated by the
size of the cow and the quality of the hay she is fed. There is also a difference in milk production between breeds, but regardless of the breed, the cow should give enough milk for her calf after the colostrums, provided she is receiving a good nutritional balance. The nutrients needed, with respect to expected milk
production during this period, will vary with the en- vironment and the type of cows. Hutcheson says the cow will produce the most milk during the fi rst 60 days after calving. Then, the amount of milk produced daily will decrease, in part because she has been rebred.
Helping calves along with feed He says, “This is when the calf needs to be eating
the forages, eating any supplement the cow has been given, or even eating the creep feed. As high priced as they are now, anything you can do to put weight on the calf is going to add value to that calf. We still sell cattle by their weight.” Hutcheson recommends that the creep feed carry
18 to 20 percent protein, and that it be high in energy from a mixture of grains. Since this is unfamiliar to the calf at fi rst, it needs to be very palatable and can even have molasses included to attract the calf to come in to eat. It should also be complete, with all of the minerals and vitamins necessary for the calf. Free-choice minerals should be available for this
period of time as well. In fact, minerals in the form of a lick may be the fi rst food the calf actually eats. He says, “I would say it’s very prudent to supplement during the period from January to April, especially if the forage is of very low quality.” To gauge whether the calf is getting enough nutrition,
since it is very diffi cult to measure its performance, Hutcheson suggests observing the cow and calf. He
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