While preparing for a new season, refreshing the calf housing facilities will be one item on your to do list. Before you get into this though, spare a moment to cast your mind back to last year (I realise this is hard when I struggle to remember what I had for dinner last night…!). If you did have any issues – and this could include feeding management issues, calf health problems, contaminated bedding, and so on – I’d suggest having a chat to your vet regarding any changes that can be implemented in your calf rearing management which will make caring for your replacements easier. We have resources we can use to check your facilities and calf rearing system to suggest tweaks prior to calving starting.

In the meantime, remember the following steps and guidelines when setting up your calf sheds:

• Before the season begins – remove and replace bedding, and thoroughly disinfect walls, railings, and the floor.
• Bedding must be dry and drain well e.g., bark chips. If you kneel onto the bedding and it feels wet, then it’s too wet for the calves. Top-up bedding regularly so it’s fresh and dry too.
• Create solid partitions between pens (at least 1m high) to prevent spread of disease.

• Use an “all-in-all-out” system. Fill a pen with the appropriate number of calves and leave calves together in the group and pen until they’re moved outside. Moving individuals or groups between pens increases the risk in spreading disease. The pen needs to be thoroughly cleaned out before the next group enters too.
• Each calf needs a minimum of 1.5m² space and ideally no more than 10-12 calves per pen.

• Limit the number of people who have access to the calf sheds – and organise a nominated person in charge of calf rearing.
• Set up an area to disinfect on entry and exit into the shed – include a footbath and/or pressure pump to use for disinfecting.

• Have dedicated equipment for only the calf shed i.e., thermometer, calf tube feeders, navel disinfectant spray.
• Consider using a calf feeder with compartments. Often the first sign of a sick calf is slow drinking and it’s easier to identify with a compartment feeder.
• Clean and disinfect calf feeders daily.

• Have enough ventilation to circulate air. This will dry out bedding and allows moist air and ammonia from the bedding to rise and escape. Ammonia build-up from calf waste can lead to respiratory issues.
• Avoid having a cold draft at calf height – keep the space calves rest draft-free and warm.

• Prepare a dedicated sick calf pen (ideally in a different shed) with a dedicated footbath, disinfectant, and equipment.
• Always feed healthy calves before tending to sick calves to reduce risk in spreading disease.
• Keep bobby calves separate from replacements (ideally in their own shed). This reduces risk of disease coming onto the farm from outside people e.g., bobby truck drivers who’ll go on and off different farms.

• From day one, calves should always have fresh access to water. Water troughs at head height will minimise faecal contamination too.
  Did you know that scouring calves can lose up to 4L of water per day? So, access to water in addition to usual feeding is essential.
• From day one, give calves access to a source of fibre e.g., hay or stray, and a good quality calf meal – at minimum, a 20% protein content.

There’s a lot to get right to ensure you get the best start for your replacements. If you change nothing, nothing changes – so if you want more out of this year’s replacements, talk to your vet to discuss calf rearing on your farm to give them the best start.