🐄 Autumn Calf Rearing Bulletin
🌧️ The transition from the warmest summer on record has been abruptly ended by the arrival of what is already shaping up to be a wet Autumn—and therefore now is the time to jump onto the front foot in your Calf Rearing Facilities! A short review of your Rearing Strategy will ensure Calves continue to thrive despite the colder months ahead.
🌡️ A Calf-Decent Temperature
The lower critical temperature of calves below 3 weeks of age sits between 10–15°C, and therefore it is important to plan to accommodate the additional energy requirements calves will need on cold days and nights.
24 hours of temperature swings can be far more challenging to work around than a constant cold spell, and therefore being on guard from the beginning of Autumn is key.
🛏️ Dry Bedding is always key—a calf lying in moisture presents the perfect opportunity for pathogens to thrive.
🌡️ Invest in a standard digital thermostat (cheap online). These can be placed at multiple heights through the Calf Pens and will demonstrate if Calves at floor level are cold.
👀 In group pens, observe for calves huddling together or avoiding a specific area. This could indicate that they are cold or there is a hidden draught that is being actively avoided!
🌾 Experiment with Big Bales of Straw facing different directions to see where Calves will nest. Placing them across large open shed fronts or behind hutches will help those calves exposed to the elements.
🧥 Calf Jackets can be a fantastic tool, but beware of using them on changeable days—as cold sweats will be counterproductive. In the Autumn, have you got the time to be taking them on and off?
🏠 Shed & Breakfast
Calf Housing on AYR Herds is challenged every day of the year. Keeping cleanliness at the top of the agenda, especially with a traditional Autumn “flush” of calves, can be extremely tricky. Custom-built Calf Housing is not realistic for many units, and therefore simple adaptations may present the quickest wins!
💧 Taking the Pee—especially on soil floors. If urine can’t drain away, it will sit in the straw beds and release ammonia. This will rise and damage the mucus membranes of calves, which work hard to protect against many respiratory diseases.
🧱 Calf housing without solid walls is likely to be allowing direct draughts onto calves which they cannot shelter from, especially in single pens.
🚿 Rearing in the vicinity of Parlours or Wash Down Areas will suffer from variable humidity and require more bedding. Bacteria and viruses also love to cling to water vapour.
🛑 Consider the location of your “sick pen.” If it is at the entrance to the shed, will the prevailing wind push air over the sick calf to linger over your healthy stock?
🌬️ If you are suffering from persistent pneumonia without scours, it may be worth contacting a housing specialist who may advise on forced ventilation in dusty buildings.
🍼 No Calf-Portions
As always, consistency is the absolute key when feeding Milk Replacer to Calves. A quick review of the label and double-checking the weight contained within one “scoop” is the first step to ensuring Calves are being fed to their needs.
Most powders allow a greater concentration to be fed in cold spells, in response to a greater energy requirement—but please liaise with your nutritionist to avoid overfeeding or scours.
Volatility in liquid milk price may lead some this Autumn to feed whole milk to their calves once more. The temperature this is fed at will also require monitoring—cold milk can easily bypass the abomasum and cause ruminal bloat and fermentation.
Offering a starter pellet is recommended to stimulate interest in milk calves and often results in a lower stress transition to solids at weaning. Intakes will not be massive, so favour keeping small amounts fresh rather than heading in once a week and allowing waste milk, spit, and froth to fester.
Fresh Water should always be provided.
🌡️ Use a standard digital thermometer and check the temperature of the milk you are feeding. Too hot will disrupt the proteins and fats—and you may see the milk “split.”
🕒 If it takes a while to feed, consider a second mix to keep the milk warm right through—the last calf in the shed will thank you!
🧼 Take a look at the bottom of your bucket or mixer—a sticky residue should prompt questions about the content and solubility of the powder, particularly ash.
💸 The cheapest Milk Powder may cost in many hidden ways: Beef Calf Values, Antibiotic use, Days to weaning, etc.—choose Wiseley
By staying vigilant with housing, hygiene, and nutrition, and making small but meaningful adjustments, you can safeguard calf health and performance through the months ahead.
Whether it’s a better bedding strategy, smarter feeding routines, or simply keeping an eye on the thermometer—every detail counts. Rear with intention, adapt with the season, and your calves will thank you in growth, resilience, and vitality.