Now that summer has started, many of us will try to take a quick break and travel somewhere for vacation. We are still a couple of weeks away from leaving, but I am already feeling the stress that comes with travel. Growing up, my parents would start planning at least a month in advance. Do we have someone to do chores? Do they need to be retrained to milk and feed the cows? Does any fence need fixing? Just like we might feel some stress about traveling, our animals might feel the same. To help keep stress low, it’s best to be like my parents and start early.
Start at the Day of Birth
Both replacement heifers and bull calves are at record-high prices. Survey data indicate that 43% of replacement heifers are raised off the farm and leave at around 3 days of age. Eighty percent of non-replacement calves leave the farm before they are a week old. Whether calves are leaving to enter the beef industry or being transported to a contract heifer grower, getting the calves off to a good start is essential.
Calves cannot handle stress as well as older animals. The primary reason is their underdeveloped immune systems. Ensuring that calves receive an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum will help manage stress responses. Maternal antibodies from colostrum will be present in the immune system until the calf is around 21 days old. The calf’s immune system is not fully developed until approximately 60 days old. Therefore, not only is colostrum important, but other supportive therapies like adequate feed, water, and the use of vaccines are also crucial.
Stress and Disease
Transportation exposes calves to many new stressors early on. Commingling, temperature changes, and limited feed and water can increase disease risk. Research shows that diseases caused by transport stress can decrease average daily gain by 0.01 to 1.7 pounds. These losses result in lower carcass weights and reduced milk production in the first lactation.
Perform Pre-Transport Assessments
Transporting healthy calves will pay off in the long run. Well-prepared calves have had adequate colostrum, navels disinfected, and access to water and milk. If calves show signs of dehydration, illness, injury, or navel swelling, they should stay on the farm. Some research has shown that keeping calves on the farm until they are at least a week-old leads to higher average daily gains and fewer incidents of respiratory diseases.
