Optimizing calf health by understanding their digestion and addressing potential challenges

The early stages of a calf’s life are critical for its long-term health and productivity. Proper digestion therefore is fundamental to this process, but it can be vulnerable to various issues. Understanding how digestion works in calves and what can go wrong is key to ensuring their healthy development.

Understanding calf digestion

Newborn calves start life as pre-ruminants, meaning they have yet to fully develop the complex ruminant digestive system characteristic of adult cows. While they are born with four stomach compartments (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) the rumen is initially underdeveloped. During the first few weeks of life, the calf’s digestion relies heavily on the abomasum, where milk is processed. As the calf grows, the rumen gradually develops, allowing the calf to transition to a ruminant digestive system. This shift typically occurs between four and eight weeks of age.

Potential digestive issues

The transition from pre-ruminant to ruminant is a delicate process, and various factors can disrupt it, particularly the invasion of unfavourable bacteria into the digestive system. These harmful bacteria can compromise the structural integrity of the intestinal wall by damaging the epithelial cells, allowing bacteria to enter the bloodstream and potentially cause systemic infections and other health issues. Additionally, this damage reduces the surface area available for nutrient absorption (figure 1), limiting the calf’s ability to extract essential nutrients from its feed, which is crucial for its growth and development. As a result, growth may slow down, leading to potential long-term consequences for its overall health, productivity, and profitability.

AHV’s proactive solutions

Proactive management of calf health in the first few weeks of life is essential for the prevention of digestive issues and to ensure optimal growth. Therefore, AHV provides the following advice to proactively support your calves.

• Ensure a Hygienic Start: Ensure that calves are born into a clean and hygienic environment. This includes maintaining clean pens, providing dry bedding, and ensuring a comfortable, draught-free space. Minimizing exposure to unfavourable bacteria from the outset can significantly reduce the risk of digestive challenges.
• Maximize the Benefits of Colostrum: Colostrum is vital in the first hours of a calf’s life, offering essential bioactive molecules that support gut development and the establishment of healthy microbiota. Each calf should receive an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum within the first six hours of birth. The absorption capacity for these vital nutrients decreases rapidly after birth, so timely administration is critical. Colostrum is the calf’s first defense against digestive challenges, laying the foundation for a robust immune system.
• Support the Immunity Transition: Between 2 to 3 weeks of age, calves enter a vulnerable period where the immunity provided by colostrum wanes before their active immune system is fully developed. Supporting calves during this immunity gap is crucial for maintaining their growth and health. Consider strategies and supplements that help bridge this gap.
• Enhance Digestive Health with AHV Calf Start: Our AHV Calf Start powder is recommended to support the growth and development of healthy calves. This product should be added to the calf’s milk from birth until two weeks of age. It delivers a potent dose of immunoglobulins (antibodies) that boost immunity and promote the optimal development of the digestive tract. By stabilizing digestion and protecting the gut wall during periods of stress, Calf Start helps calves maintain a healthy growth trajectory. Administering 25 grams per calf, twice daily for the first two weeks of life, can provide the necessary support during this critical period.

By proactively managing calf health and addressing digestive challenges early, you can bridge the immunity gap and minimize the impact of the post-weaning dip. Digestive challenges in calves can have significant consequences for their growth and long-term health, so understanding how these challenges occur and taking proactive steps to address them is essential. Together we can help ensure that your calves grow into strong, healthy, and productive animals.

Find out more about AHV’s calf products below, or fill in the contact form to get into contact with one of our AHV Farm Advisors.

Proactive Calf Rearing Program

First 14 days of life

Calf Start

25 gr⁄ animal⁄ twice daily milk feeding

Day 15-28

Respi

10 gr⁄ animal⁄ twice daily milk feeding

From 1 week pre-weaning until 2 weeks post-weaning

Booster Powder

50 gr⁄ animal⁄ twice daily as top dress