Creating the best start for calves

Close attention should be paid to calf rearing techniques. If calves fail to reach target growth rates throughout their development, it will have negative implications later, particularly when they start their first lactation cycle. As no maternal immunoglobins can pass the placenta barrier the calf is born without an active immune system and does not have the necessary antibodies at birth to protect from bacterial infections. From birth, the newborn calf is expected to defend for itself, with