The Beef Cattle Research Council said national calf death loss within 24 hours of birth averaged 2.2 per cent for cows and 3.7 per cent for heifers in the 2023 calving season.

Death loss between 24 hours and weaning averaged 2.5 per cent for calves born to cows and 2.9 per cent for calves born to heifers across Canada.

WHY IT MATTERS: Calf losses as a result of poor program management or disease can be costly for farmers.

To help mitigate these losses, the council hosted a series of expert-led information sessions focused on reducing calf losses by addressing key factors such as calving difficulties, weak or stillborn calves, scours and pneumonia.

These strategies begin as early as the yard, said Dr. Van Mitchell of Metzger Veterinary Services. Mitchell said overall yard management can help cut calving losses by reducing the chance of disease transmission after birth, such as calf scours from dirty udders.

He also recommended using caution when bringing new animals onto the farm.

“I would strongly urge anybody who’s bringing in new cows, new calves, and especially foster calves, to really do that with caution, because you’re bringing in bugs from the outside,” he said, adding there is no way to make calves fully immune from pathogens. However, he said steps can be taken to reduce exposure, such as keeping calving areas clean and segregating sick animals.

Maintaining a vaccine schedule

Mitchell said vaccines are a critical step in reducing calf losses, noting that pre-breeding and pre-calving vaccines can offer significant protection. He recommended a modified live vaccine as providing the best protection.

He noted that calves born in the last third of the calving season are at higher risk of scours and pneumonia. Being aware of calving schedules ensures calves receive proper attention at the right intervals.

Proper calving techniques

Avoiding injury during birth is one of the most effective ways to reduce calf losses. Dr. Lisa Freeze of the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture recommended farmers contact their veterinarian as soon as they believe a cow is in distress.

She advised having tools and resources prepared for both the farmer and veterinarian to make delivery smoother, such as a pail of warm water with a cleaning agent, clean rags and lubricant.

Freeze also suggested farmers invest in a good pair of calving chains and handles.

“They are really handy tools if you know how to use them, but they can also do a lot of damage to the calf and the cow if you’re using them improperly,” she said.

Freeze advised farmers to be aware of cow behaviour leading up to birth. She noted the cervix will dilate up to 24 hours before calving. Cows may begin to isolate or walk with their tail up.

As the cow moves through the stages of delivery, she warned that if the placenta is visible ahead of the calf or the water bag is emerging, it is time to call the vet.

Freeze said cows will often struggle if the calf is too big, something that can occur if cows are mismatched during breeding. She noted that if two people are not strong enough to remove a calf with the correct equipment, then a C-section is necessary.

Overall, she said that if a farm is experiencing more than five per cent assisted calving procedures, it is time to re-evaluate the calving program.

The value of colostrum

Passive transfer failure — a condition where newborns fail to absorb adequate maternal immunoglobulins (antibodies) from colostrum within the first 24 hours of life — remains a challenge during calving season.

Dr. Lauren Wilson of Peterborough Veterinary Services said this can occur when the calf misses the window of opportunity, receives poor-quality colostrum, there is no colostrum present or the calf is hypothermic.

Wilson noted there is a limited window of 24 hours to get colostrum into calves effectively. Not only does it build immunity, but it also reduces the risk of pneumonia.

“New research is showing that if calves are not up and nursing by four hours, they are at an increased risk for failure,” she said, adding twins are at particular risk.

Once the risk is identified, Wilson recommends moving to a colostrum supplement, particularly if the calf is not up and suckling.

Producers can go online to register for or particpate in a Beef Cattle Research Council webinar.

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“We saw it when we went through that movement of feeding more milk (to calves),” said Dr. Kelly Barratt, former Heartland Vet Services partner and current director of welfare for Saputo.

Why it matters: The repercussions of poor calf nutrition, including mortality and future health setbacks, inevitably affect the bottom line.

“All of a sudden the pens were full, the calves were healthy and big, and we were breeding heifers earlier. I think we can see the same thing happen when we fix colostrum management issues.”

Barratt and University of Guelph Animal Biosciences professor Dr. Michael Steele were among the speakers at the conference hosted by Veal Farmers of Ontario.

Barratt’s talk was entitled “There ain’t no bodies like antibodies – How to ensure you are getting the most from your colostrum management program.” Steele explored new concepts in preweaning and weaning nutrition.

Steele chronicled a series of updated recommendations for the level of immunoglobulin (IgG) in colostrum or colostrum replacer fed to dairy calves. The current recommendation is for 200 grams IgG per litre. He cited recent research providing “very clear evidence” that a saturation point for the bovine gut’s ability to absorb immunoglobulins isn’t reached even at 350 g per litre.

In his limited experience working with beef calves in Canada, Steele said they typically consume colostrum at significantly higher IgG levels that the average dairy calf.

Barratt agreed that, when using colostrum replacer, the product should provide at least 300 g IgG per litre. When using maternal milk or colostrum from other dams that has been stored in the fridge or freezer, a Brix refractometer, which is easy to use and cheap to buy, is a good start for testing quality.

A Brix reading of 22 on the colostrum roughly equates to 50 g IgG per litre.

Steele said a rising number of dairy farms use regular blood tests on calves to measure serum total protein as a way to track the passive transfer of immunity from dam to calf through colostrum.

Brix refractometers can be an effective gauge of quality for colostrum but not for colostrum replacers, he said. Relatively new work published in the Journal of Dairy Science has shown a trend toward overestimating IgG levels in colostrum replacer through serum total protein tests.

“You should actually send it to a lab and do IgG (of the colostrum replacer) if you’re interested in getting that assessment.”

He added that serum total protein tests should ideally be done at one to three days of age, when the test is most accurate for tracking colostrum quality.

Barratt said providing high-quality colostrum begins with vaccination, sufficient dry periods and good nutrition and heat abatement for heifers and dry cows.

Bacteria prevent proper absorption of immunoglobulins by the calf so it’s essential to use clean buckets, nipples and bottles, and to put the colostrum immediately into the fridge or freezer if it’s destined for future use.

Small containers or bags are better because it’s easier to achieve a uniform thaw.

Pasteurization can damage immunoglobulins, she advised, so producers should consider heat treatment instead. Don’t put cold milk in boiling water to quickly thaw it, or in warm water to gradually warm it. That can promote bacterial growth or damage the immunoglobulins.

Heat treatment is a defined process of heating the milk to 60 C for a specific time. Commercial units are available for this purpose, said Barratt, who has also seen a few creative homemade units on farms.

Enrichment of low-quality colostrum by mixing in higher quality colostrum is common in other parts of the world and in Western Canada, said Steele. His advice is to use this practice on low-quality colostrum to raise the IgG levels in a calf’s first meal, but don’t try to improve high quality colostrum by trying to enrich it further.

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