Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Again and again: initial care
It cannot be emphasized often enough: proper initial care gives calves a good start in life. At first, everything revolves around colostrum supply: as quickly as possible, as much as possible, and of high quality. Those who are imprecise here will later have to spend even more time caring for and treating their ailing calves.
Still getting sick?
And then there are farms that provide really good, meticulously accurate initial care for their calves, and yet some still develop problems and become ill. Often there is a very simple reason behind this: colostrum contains many important immunoglobulins, but hardly any trace elements. However, these are important for a wide range of bodily processes. Particular attention should be paid to iron, because a newborn calf has no significant reserves.
As red as blood
Probably the most important body fluid is blood – at least in all vertebrates. It is mainly responsible for a wide variety of transport processes: oxygen, nutrients, metabolic products, etc. This happens, among other things, through the pigment of the blood, known as hemoglobin – an iron-containing protein complex. Harmful substances and toxins are also transported by the blood to the excretory organs so that they can no longer harm the body. In addition, blood plays an important role in regulating body temperature.
Strong immune system through iron
Iron is extremely important for the immune system. It is actively involved in the formation of antibodies and is therefore essential for disease defense. Colostrum provides protection for the first few days; after that, the calf’s own production of immune factors must function. If this is not the case, the calf becomes ill, which in turn triggers a downward spiral: lower daily weight gains lead to reduced performance later in its life as a dairy cow. Not to mention the additional workload and possible veterinary costs. In short: on the second day of life, calves should have a blood iron level of 20 µmol/l in order to be adequately supplied.
Field trials
Literature can describe a lot. More important, however, is what it looks like in practice – and this is examined again and again by various institutions. And almost all of them come to the same conclusion: most calves are significantly under-supplied with iron. The problems that arise from this are often not attributed to this factor, because calves are generally prone to disease and daily weight gains are not always high in all animals. Blood tests that could provide insight into the causes are rarely carried out in practice, as they are simply too expensive. But in pigs, the prophylactic administration of iron is standard – so why not in calves as well?
Useful supplements
Neither colostrum nor whole milk contains sufficient amounts of iron for the calf. In a high-quality milk replacer, the amounts are adjusted to the daily requirement, but even here they are not really enough to replenish reserves. Therefore, administering a well-available iron supplement to calves in the first hours is certainly advisable. In addition to supporting the immune system, iron promotes cell division and thus lays the foundation for good milk production and a healthy udder. The investment in iron supplementation is therefore well worthwhile for the animal’s later life.
