A heifer is the future cow. The health of the heifer calves depends heavily on the level of care they receive. Every calf born in a dairy farm represents an opportunity to maintain or improve the herd genetically and to increase the economic returns to the farm. The calf gains about 500 gms per day and will weigh 60Kg to 80Kg during 3 to 6 months of age. To match this growth rates, feeding appropriate quantity and quality of feed is the most vital. For calves upto 1 year of age, it is always desirable to give sufficient concentrates in addition to good quality roughage to gain optimum growth rate.
Raising calves is by far the most difficult operation in a dairy farming enterprise, requiring a great deal of management skills, application and constant attention. Feeding of calves during the first 3 months is very crucial. In our country calf mortality constitutes one of the major causes for the loss in the dairy sector. Proper feeding during this stage will avoid calf mortality. There is still lack of awareness on colostrum feeding which is very important for offering immunity to the newborn.
Krishi Nutrition Company Private Limited has the right feed to cater to the calf stage. It ensures the bio-availability of both energy and protein, whose quality and digestibility are essential to ensure attainment of maturity at the right age and optimal growth rate thus transforming the calves into profitable dairy cows. Krishi’s Calf Starter is available in 20Kg PP bags in pellet form.
Feeding Guideline :
| For Cow & Buffalo Calf | At 3 months | At 6 months | At 9 months | At 1 year |
| KNC Calf Starter Pellet/day | 250 gms | 500 gms | 1 kg | 1.5 kg |
The feed for dairy and working animals is not suitable for calves. The calves have to be fed with special ration which has high protein content to match the rapid growth of the calves. Needless to say, green and dry fodder as required along with potable clean drinking water should be provided.
