Raising calves on suction in beef cattle breeding. Suction-group feeding of calves. On rearing young animals on suction

The problem of increasing meat production is currently one of the most important.

The report of Comrade N. S. Khrushchev at the 21st Congress of the CPSU indicates that for 1959-1965. it is planned to increase the production of meat (in slaughter weight) to no less than 16 million tons, or 2 times in comparison with 1958. The available reserves literally in every district, economy convincingly speak of the possibility of a significant overfulfillment of the specified task. rearing calves by the method of group, round suction, a method that is sometimes incorrectly perceived by us as a manifestation of extensive cattle breeding.

Meanwhile, rearing calves by group suction is widely used, for example, in England, not only in areas of extensive beef cattle breeding, but also in areas of intensive farming with fertile soils. In our Union, the first experiments in group rearing of calves under nursing cows were carried out as early as 1931 by S. G. Azarov (1, 2) in Western Siberia, at the Kargat-Sarybalyk meat-sovkhoz. On the basis of these experiments, instructions were developed for organizing the production of marketable milk and raising calves under cows-nurses in meat farms. At the same time, it was recommended to grow by suction at the same time, depending on the milkiness of the cows-nurse, from 2 to 4 calves. The new method has been introduced in a number of farms. So, for example, in the Stavropol meat-sovkhoz N 96 more than 600 calves were raised (3); at the Salsk zootechnical experimental station - 180 (6), etc. The experiments confirmed economic efficiency group suction. However, in subsequent years, the application of the method slowed down, mainly due to the low milk productivity of cows of meat farms, which were kept on pastures almost all year round (7, 8). Due to the lack of milk, the calves needed significant additional feeding in addition to sucking, and this increased the labor intensity and complicated the technique.

In 1956, I. G. Kuzmin [4, 5] studied the method of rearing calves by means of double sucking in the conditions of the steppe regions of the Trans-Volga region. As a result of these works, a large number of collective farms and state farms of the meat-and-milk and dairy-and-meat directions in the named areas began to successfully apply the method of double suction, while spending 500-700 liters of milk per calf, which eliminates the need for additional feeding of suckling calves with concentrates and skimmed milk. The calves reared by the suction method stay on the pasture along with the nursing cows during the entire grazing period, develop well and weigh 180-213 kg at the age of 7-8 months. The case and diseases of young animals are almost completely excluded.

Practice shows that the double suction method is most appropriate where cows have a lactation milk yield of 1000-1400 liters. With a higher milk productivity, it is useful to raise calves by the method of group, round suction. Its essence lies in the fact that under one cow-nurse during lactation, from 5 to 15 calves are grown, depending on the milk yield of cows. Under each cow, calves are brought up in groups of 3-4 shifts (rounds), and each shift of calves is suckled for 3-4 months.

In the experiments conducted by I. G. Kuzmin in 1957 in the experimental farm of the Institute of the South-East, all calves from 80 high-yielding cows of the breeding herd were raised by the method of group, round sucking under nine cows-nurses. At weaning at 100 days of age, the calves weighed 120-140 kg. Milk consumption per calf was more than 500 liters. In 1958, on the Bolshevik collective farm, Leninsky district, Moscow region, 7 cow-nurses raised 70 calves by the method of group, round suction, that is, an average of 10 calves; milk consumption per calf - 350-400 liters; live weight at weaning - 120-135 kg (at the age of about 3-3.5 months). The experiments carried out showed a significant reduction in labor costs, good development, high weight gain of calves and their complete preservation. At the same time, the cost of whole milk for rearing a calf (500-700 liters) in a number of farms turned out to be clearly high and not acceptable for areas of intensive whole-milk cattle breeding, where only 200-300 liters per calf are consumed for hand-feeding. Hence the idea arose to improve the technique of rearing calves by the method of group, round suction in such a way that the cost of milk for feeding young animals did not exceed the norms of manual feeding. A similar experiment was carried out in 1958 in the state farm "Talashkino", Smolensk region, located in a suburban area. The leaders of the state farm and the Smolensk regional agricultural administration took great interest in setting up a scientific and production experience and rendered great assistance to the researchers.

Prior to the start of the experiment, the principles of the very selection of cows in the group of nurses were studied.

We checked more than 20 cows of different ages, breeds and temperaments, with a normal udder and with various defects in it and located in different months of lactation. At the end of July 1958, a group of 10 suckling cows was identified, including 7 cows culled due to old age and 3 slow-calving cows. The productivity of animals for the previous lactation was 1800-2500 liters: before the transfer to suckling feeding of calves, mother cows had already lactated (after the last calving) for an average of 80 days and 770 liters of milk were produced from them. For the first round, 33 calves aged one to two weeks were allowed to raise these cows. Thus, in the first round, 7 cows raised 3 calves each, and 3 cows raised 4 calves each. N.N. from calves-nick at 150 m; and all processes were carried out manually. Working time calves on the farm did not exceed 8-8.5 hours a day. In total, with the new method of rearing calves, N. N. Trofimova additionally performed the work of manually watering the calves, thus replacing one milkmaid and a calf. Among the suckling calves of the first round, there were 4 heads so weak from birth and rickety that, according to the conclusion of the specialists of the state farmer, they were doomed to death. However, already during the first one and a half weeks of keeping them under the cow-nurse, they straightened out and later grew and developed quite normally.

In our experience, due to the fact that the farm was unfavorable for dictyocaulosis, lactating cows were grazed together with the general herd of dairy cows, receiving top dressing in the same sizes as dairy cows. In the daytime, suckling calves were kept in a fenced paddock. In the first month of suckling, calves were admitted to cows three times a day, and starting from the second month, they switched to a double admission. From the very first days of suction, calves began to be accustomed to concentrated and green fodder, and from the second month - to talkers from cake and oatmeal. The calves always had mineral supplements in the feeders. Clean running water was used for drinking. By the time of weaning, all calves were accustomed to eat enough non-dairy feeds (grass, dry concentrates, talkers). In total, during the suction period, in addition to milk, concentrates were fed for each calf - 23 feed units, green feed - 33 feed. units The same amount of non-dairy feed was fed to calves reared by manual watering, i.e. control. In mid-September, suckers were taken away from nurse cows and transferred to dairy-free rearing. For 80-85 days of suction, 50 kg of weight gain was obtained (600 g daily). By weaning at 100 days of age, calves weighed an average of about 80 kg.

During the suction of the first round (84 days), dairy cows-analogues (by age, time of last calving and milk yield for the previous and first months of the current lactation), which were in the general herd, gave 864 liters of milk, or on average him 10.3 liters per day. If during the suckling period the productivity of lactating cows was at the level of analogues from the dairy herd, then the share of each calf would be 250-260 liters of milk during the sucking period (except for 30-50 liters of colostrum). With manual watering, the state farm spends 270-280 liters of whole milk for each calf, and in some departments up to 380 liters. The actual productivity of mother cows, determined on the basis of the weight gain of calves and the amount of non-dairy feed fed to calves in addition to sucked milk, amounted to 1180-1230 liters during the first round, or 14-15 liters per day. ki, which is 350-370 liters of milk for each suckling calf. From here it can be seen that suckling calves vigorously “dairy out” their wet nurses. In lactating cows, compared with those milked in the usual way, milk production increased by 30-50%.

After the end of the first round of rearing (100 days), in mid-September, a new group of calves consisting of 31 heads was let in under the same cows-nurses, and 20 of them at the age of 1-4 months were taken from the group of ordinary manual watering in connection with the case that began in her, as a result of the transfer to suction, all 20 weak calves were preserved and further developed quite normally. Weight gain was not lower than in the first round. The calves of the second round, reared by the suckling method, at the age of 3.5 to 5 months, in accordance with the development and health status, were transferred to dairy-free rearing. At the end of the second round, 3 nurse cows were handed over for meat as culled due to old age, one was launched before calving. In the third round, which takes place under the conditions of winter keeping of livestock, 6 remaining cows-breadwinners raise 12 calves. At the end of the third round, the remaining 4 old nurse cows will be handed over for meat, and 2 will be launched before calving. After calving, in 1959, they will again enter the group of nurse cows; in addition to them, new cows will be selected to replace the old ones handed over for meat. Thus, from June 1958 to December inclusive, 10 cows-nurses for one incomplete lactation raised 56 calves from 1-2 weeks to 100 days of age and 20 weak sick calves from the group of manual watering from 1-3 up to 4-5 months. In addition, a total of 7720 liters of milk were obtained from the nurses, which ensured the upbringing of another 25-30 calves. All offspring grown by suckling developed normally, while in the group of hand-drinking calves the mortality was 20°/o, the live weight of young animals at 100 days of age turned out to be 10-12°/e less than that of suckers.

The results of studying the method of group, round education of calves under cows-nurses were discussed at a special meeting in the Smolensk Regional Department of Agriculture. The meeting approved the method and recommended it for implementation in state farms and collective farms of the region. In 1959, the rearing of calves by the method of group, round suction will be carried out in 12 state farms of the region. At the Talashkino state farm, where the experiment was carried out, in 1959 at least 250-300 calves will be raised by the method of group, round suckling. Calculations show that the transition to the new method will make it possible to release about 25 thousand milkmaids and calves only in the central regions of the non-chernozem zone of the USSR; at the same time, savings due to a decrease in the number of milkmaids alone amount to more than 40 million rubles. in year. Experience has confirmed the indisputable high economic and economic effect of group, round suction, namely: labor and cash costs for the maintenance of the herd are significantly reduced; the yield of marketable products (milk and meat, in terms of milk), the yield of calves increases; improves their health, growth and development; the milk productivity of cows-breadwinners increases due to the influence of the act of co-sleighing; the period of economic use of animals culled due to old age and hardy animals is lengthened; The suckling method makes it possible to take calves of a week old, contracted from collective farmers, workers and employees, and grow them under mother cows on collective farms and state farms.

Based on experience, the following recommendations for cultivation techniques can be made. In the group of feeding cows, full-aged animals should be selected, first of all, from among those culled due to old age or hard-to-be with healthy udders that have all four normally functioning nipples. Selected cows should be calm and to some extent phlegmatic, able to fully give milk not only to their main milkmaid, but also to another milkmaid. It is desirable that the cow has time to prolactate for at least one to two weeks before the calves are brought in.

Calves are selected for nursing cows at the age of two weeks and after they have been fed from the teat drinker or directly under the mother with colostrum. Such an amount of offspring should be let in so that for each calf there is at least 3.5-4 liters of milk per day. The productivity of cow-nurses before letting in is determined by control milkings. During the first days of suckling, check whether the calves are completely sucking milk from the feeders. If necessary, cows-kor-militsa need to be milked. Calves of approximately the same weight, the same sex and with the same degree of appetite should be assigned to each cow-nurse. It is not recommended to let your own calf near the cow-nurse, as in this case she is less willing to get used to foster children. For the same reason, you can not give a cow and lick your own offspring.

In the experiment described above, the calves were allowed to go to the nurse cows, who were in the stalls on a leash. Before the first admission of calves, the cow must stand in the room where the admission is carried out for 1-2 days in order to get used to the new environment for her. A cow more willingly accepts calves when her udder is well filled with milk, therefore, before the first admission, a cow should not be milked for 10-14 hours. When letting in, you should give the cow some kind of food, preferably tasty for her. Before the first start-up, the calves are wiped in the area of the croup, back and head with a clean rag moistened with the milk of the nursing cow. In this case, you can lightly sprinkle the calves with bran or cake. It is more convenient for two workers to let the calves in for the first time, and they should be located on both sides of the cow in order to prevent possible injury. Do not confuse (tie) the hind legs of cows when letting calves in for suction. If the cow-nurse's legs are tangled, then the calves, having completely sucked out the cow within 3-5 minutes, continue to suck the empty udder. This greatly disturbs the cow, and she begins to beat. In this case, injury to the calves and the cow itself is possible.

For the maintenance of cows-nurses and pine calves, it is possible to adapt the primitive and standard livestock buildings available on the farms. On the north side of the calf barn, the stalls for the nurse cows are separated from each other by bars of poles. Cages for young animals are placed along the opposite side (4 calves each). In order to avoid drafts and contact with calves from neighboring cages, the side partitions between the cages should be made solid, preferably from tesa. The door of the cage, made of poles, when opened, completely blocks the manure passage and forms a kind of stall together with the stall. In this case, the calves get free access to their mother cow, but cannot move to the neighboring group. All internal partitions in the calf house are made 140-150 cm high. To re-equip the calf house for 10 nurse cows and 40 calves, 1.5 cubic meters are required. m tesa, several dozen poles; the amount of labor costs is about 15 man-days. The cost of re-equipment of such a calf house (600-1000 rubles) will pay off already in the first month of suction due to savings on the wages of milkmaids. According to this principle, summer camps should also be equipped - sheds for the joint keeping of cows-nurses and suckling calves. When equipping premises, it is imperative to observe following conditions: for each calf in the cage there must be at least 1.3 square meters. m floor area; the width of the stalls for cows should be at least 220 cm to ensure free, simultaneous access of 3-4 calves to the udder of the nurse; the room should be sufficiently light, dry and there should be no drafts; the room should be disinfected periodically. In buildings equipped according to this method, calves and nurse cows get used to each other within 2-3 weeks, after which they can be transferred to another room, where they are kept in groups of 3 to 10 nurse cows along with calves (at least 10-12 sq. m of floor area for each cow with 3-4 suckers). In the summer, after the cows and calves get used to each other, they should be pastured together, in groups of up to 25 cows and up to 100 calves. Nurse cows should receive a complete diet with a varied set of feeds by species. In any case, the organization and level of feeding of these cows should not be worse than that of other dairy cows on the farm. From the first month of suckling, suckling calves must be taught to eat both strong and voluminous feeds. In the feeders for them, there should always be good-quality hay, succulent feed (root crops in the first month), concentrates and mineral supplements. From the beginning of the second month of suction, calves can be accustomed to talkers. Along with milk, green grass is a biologically complete food for calves. Therefore, it is necessary that suckling calves use pastures as much as possible, grazing where possible, together with nurse cows. Joint grazing of calves and nurse cows is one of the most important economic advantages of the suckling method of calf rearing, since one person can graze a herd of 25 cows and 100 calves. It is very important to provide calves and cows of wet nurses with good-quality and timely watering.

In summer, after the mutual habituation of calves and nurse cows, they should be pastured together, in groups of up to 25 cows and 100 calves. And only if the farm is unfavorable due to invasive diseases (dictyocaulosis), cows-nurses can be pastured either together with the dairy herd, or separately, and for calves, special pastures limited by fences or an electric shepherd can be allocated. During the stall period, nurses and suckers can be kept on removable or deep litter. It is only important that it be plentiful and clean. It is more convenient to clean the cages and change the bedding at the time when the calves suckle the nurses. Calves should be kept in unheated rooms and provided with regular exercise in good weather. The calf should monitor the cleanliness of the udder of the cows and, if necessary, wash it. Calves should be allowed to nurse at least three times a day - in the morning, afternoon and evening.

The invention relates to agriculture, namely to cattle breeding. The method provides for keeping calves up to five days of age on full sucking with mother cows, and then on paired sucking under nursing cows up to 5-6 months of age. The method allows to increase the safety of calves, to increase the average daily gains of young animals. 3 w.p. f-ly, 1 tab.

The invention relates to agriculture, in particular to cattle breeding. A known method of growing calves in the prophylactic period (ed. St. USSR 1491425, CL A 01 K 67/02, 1987). Within 12 hours after birth, the calves of their mothers are free to suckle, then in the next three days the calves are periodically allowed to other cows, the time after calving of which does not exceed 12 hours. On the fourth day, the calves are transferred to a dispensary and fed with combined colostrum and milk. The disadvantage of this method is that when growing calves, short-term suction is used. Manual drinking following suction contributes to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract of calves, since the bacterial contamination of milk obtained directly from the udder of a cow is much lower compared to similar samples of milk from a teat-drinker from the same animals. Closest to the proposed method is a method of growing calves under cows-nurses (Susoev E., Kudinov V. Growing calves under cows-nurses. //Dairy and meat cattle breeding. 2001. - 3. - S. 8 and 9). Rastel cows are carried out directly in the stalls. The calves are suckling under their mothers for 10 days, they are tied on a leash to the stall fence. After 10 days, the calves are weaned from their mothers and sent to a calf barn to be raised under nurse cows. The young are kept in group cages. The main disadvantage of this method is the content of calves in group cages, which leads to the appearance of suckling calves. The claimed invention is aimed at eliminating the above disadvantages of the known, and the following result can be obtained from its use: increasing the safety of calves; increase in average daily gains of young animals; a number of labor processes are excluded (milking cows, processing and preparation of milk and its distribution). This is achieved due to the fact that calves up to five days of age are kept on full sucking with mother cows, then on paired sucking with nursing cows. Teaching calves to nurse cows is carried out in specialized boxes. From the age of one month, young animals with nursing cows are transferred to free-range content, with the beginning of the pasture season they are grazed. The method is carried out as follows. Two days before calving, pregnant cows are transferred to a specialized box, which consists of a section for keeping a nursing cow (3 x 3 m) and two adjoining cages (1 x 3 m) for individual keeping of calves. The section and cells are equipped with feeders and drinkers. The doors to the individual cages open inward so that the calves cannot get out on their own. The floors in the box for keeping the wet nurses are concrete, in the cages are wooden, straw or sawdust is used as bedding. In the first five days of life, that is, the entire colostrum period, the calves are kept on suction under the mother cows, on the sixth of them they form pairs that are homogeneous in sex and are left with the cow-nurse. At the same time, less productive cows are used as breadwinners, and the best ones are transferred to the dairy herd. Calves, together with the cow-nurse, are kept in specialized boxes up to a month old: cows in sections on a leash, calves in individual cages. Such content contributes to the natural extinction of their increased excitability during suction and prevents the appearance of suckling calves in the herd. In the first 15 days, young animals are allowed to nurse cows 4-5 times a day, and later 3 times. A month later, calves and cows-nurses are transferred to a joint free-range content in a common section. In the section, a corral is arranged, fenced off with poles at a height of 70-75 centimeters from the floor. This eliminates the possibility of the transition of cows to calves and does not interfere with the access of calves to nursing cows. With the beginning of the grazing season, young animals with nurse cows graze on natural pastures. Young animals are grown on a paired suction under cows-nurses up to 5-6 months of age. The advantage of the suckling method of growing is that the young animals receive benign milk at the right temperature, not contaminated with microbes and having high immune properties; a number of labor intensive processes. The proposed method of rearing calves on a paired suction under cows-nurses helps to increase the safety of calves, increase the energy of growth and development, and eliminate a number of labor-intensive processes. Example. In the training and experimental farm of the Penza State Agricultural Academy, two groups of calves were formed according to the principle of analogues: experimental and control. The experimental group of calves were grown on a paired suckling under cows-nurses up to 6 months of age, the control group was raised with manual watering. The results obtained are presented in the table.

Claim

1. A method of rearing young animals on suction under cows-nurses, characterized in that until the age of five days the calves are kept on full suction with cows-mothers, then pairs are formed homogeneous in sex and grown on paired suction under cows-nurses. 2. The method of rearing young animals according to claim 1, characterized in that less productive cows are used as nurse cows. 3. The method of growing young animals according to claim 1, characterized in that the accustoming of calves to nursing cows is carried out in specialized boxes for a month, after which they are transferred to free-range content. 4. The method of rearing young animals according to claim 1, characterized in that with the beginning of the grazing season, young animals, together with nursing cows, graze on pastures.

REPUBLICAN UNITARY ENTERPRISE

"SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CENTER OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY

SCIENCES OF BELARUS ON ANIMAL HUSBANDRY"

FOR YOUNG GROWING ON SUCTION

UP TO 6-8 MONTHS OF AGE

Zhodino 2008

UDC 636.2.083.37

Recommendations for growing young animals on suction up to 6-8 months of age have been developed researchers RUE "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Animal Husbandry": Ph.D. Sciences, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences sciences, professor, candidate of vet. Sciences, Ph.D. X. Sciences: , postgraduate student, competitor

Approved by the Scientific Council of the RUE "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Animal Husbandry" (minutes of November 13, 2007).

Considered and approved at a meeting of the section of the scientific and technical council of the main department for the intensification of animal husbandry and food, the main department of veterinary medicine of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (minutes dated 01.01.01).

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………….4

1 Beef cattle keeping technology…………………………………………………………..5

1.1 Technological solution of the premises……………………………………………………………5

1.2 Technology of reproduction in a herd of beef cattle………………………………………..7

1.3 The main technological elements in the maintenance of beef cattle………………..7

1.4 Use of cultivated and improved natural

pastures in beef cattle breeding…………………………………………………………………….8

2. Feeding beef cattle……………………………………………………………………..9

2.1 Feeding cows…………………………………………………………………………….. 9

2.2 Feeding young animals during the suckling period ……………………………………………….10

3 Veterinary and sanitary measures …………………………………………………………14

INTRODUCTION

Currently, beef production is mainly carried out by breeding black-and-white cattle (up to 97%), the decline in the number of which until 2003 led to a significant reduction in the production of products received from them. Therefore, beef cattle breeding should become an important additional source of beef production in many farms of the republic, which is confirmed by world practice. Currently, countries where beef cattle breeding is widely developed occupy 39% of its total population in terms of livestock, but produce 53% of the world's beef. Due to natural and climatic conditions, which are not better than in Belarus, beef cattle breeding has become widespread in England, Germany, Hungary, Canada (75% of the total livestock) and other countries.

In our republic, the task of increasing the production of high-quality beef can be largely solved by creating beef cattle herds based on crossing low-productive dairy cattle with specialized bulls. meat breeds. The solution of this problem will also be facilitated by the fact that the development of beef cattle breeding does not require large investments, since it can be kept in the simplest buildings without special mechanization, mainly on less scarce and less expensive green, succulent and roughage with low costs of concentrates .

For more efficient development of the industry, which is so necessary for the republic, it is necessary to pay special attention to the main basis - pedigree beef cattle breeding, which can also be a source of foreign exchange, since in the pre-perestroika period Belarus was traditionally a supplier of pedigree young animals to other countries.

Beef cattle are distinguished by high productive qualities: the output of calves per 100 queens is 90 heads (in foreign practice, it is considered justified to engage in beef cattle when the output is 70-75 heads per 100 queens); the average daily gain of calves on suckling under mothers is 850-900 g, bulls after weaning on rearing - 1200, feed costs per 1 kg of growth, taking into account the feeding of cows, are 15-17 k. units, slaughter yield - 60-62%, content in pulp carcass - 82%.

Most beef breeds are precocious (at a young age they reach a high degree of development), but there are also long-growing breeds (they show high growth energy for a long time). Beef cattle typically have a wide barrel-shaped body with well-developed muscles (especially the neck, shoulder blades, pelvis and ham).

The carcass has fewer bones and tendons, more pulp, and is heavier than a cut. They have up to 6 kg of pulp per 1 kg of bones, and in dairy breeds - 3.5-4. Animals of meat breeds at a later age start? And less intensively deposit fat in the body. In their total mass of fat, intermuscular and intramuscular fat predominates, which gives beef marbling, juiciness, high taste and culinary properties, while in dairy breeds, watering and fat on internal organs unsuitable for food. In terms of biological value and taste, beef of meat breeds surpasses the meat of dairy breeds (taste, aroma, tenderness, richness).

During the period of intensive industrial cultivation, the technology of agricultural production is changing dramatically, which, in turn, places new demands on domestic animals in the direction of their improvement. This is one of the main reasons for the transformation of existing and breeding of new types and lines of specialized cattle in the Republic of Belarus, taking into account the natural and climatic conditions of each region. Heavy breeds (Charolais, Maine Anjou) can be bred in areas where pastures have a solid base, lighter breeds such as Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, Limousin - in pastures, the basis of which is often peat bogs.

The economic efficiency of beef production depends on how high the breeding and genetic potential of animals of specialized meat breeds bred in our country, their resistance, productivity level, growth energy and quality of beef. In this regard, there is a need to improve the breeds of beef cattle, the sires of which will be used to create herds of beef cattle based on crossing with low-yielding breeding stock of dairy breeds in order to obtain animals of a new genotype that will meet the requirements of a particular region of the country.

Beef cattle breeding is less capital-intensive and energy-intensive than other branches of animal husbandry. It does not require capital structures and sophisticated means mechanization, eliminates milking and manual feeding of calves. Animals of meat breeds are kept in light rooms, on walking areas with canopies, they prefer deep litter. The structure of their diet is simpler, at a cost it is much cheaper than for other animal species. Beef cattle are less labour-intensive, which is very important now, in a period of shortage of personnel. He reacts without much stress to the improvement of technology.

When forming herds of beef cattle, the issues of developing technological methods for keeping animals, especially methods for rearing calves on suction according to the “cow-calf” principle, are important and relevant. The study of growth and development of young animals from birth to weaning, its full feeding during the stall and pasture periods are of great practical importance. The further productivity of adult animals and the economic efficiency of beef production depend on how correctly young animals will be grown in the suckling period up to 6-8 months of age.

1 Beef cattle management technology

1.1 Technological solution of the premises

The most effective system for keeping beef cows and dairy cows, transferred to the technology of beef cattle breeding, in the winter period is loose on a deep non-replaceable litter. The formation of the litter should begin in August-September, for which a layer of dry straw 25-30 cm thick is laid on the floor in the room. After being placed in a stall, the litter is updated as it gets dirty. For animals to rest on the walking and fodder area, adobe mounds with a height of at least 1 m and a width of 10-12 m should be arranged, with a calculation of 2-2.5 m2 of area per cow. The formation of mounds must be carried out in the summer, while the layout of the area should be such that would ensure the flow of water from the sites. In winter, the mounds are periodically lined with straw.

During the grazing period, animals are kept in summer camps where sheds and feeders are equipped for calves, or indoors if they are near pastures. Watering is carried out from natural reservoirs or water is brought to the pasture, as in dairy cattle breeding.

To improve the efficiency of beef cattle breeding, it is necessary that the size of capital investments per 1 head of the main herd be small, which is facilitated by the maximum use of cheap premises. Also in this regard, the reconstruction of empty old premises presents great opportunities. The scheme of the reconstructed old room for the maternity ward for an example is shown in

figure 1.

The room is 88 m long and 12 m wide, with a usable area of 747 m2, intended for keeping 90 cows with calves until weaning. The room is divided along the entire length by a feed passage, along which feeders are located on both sides. The whole building is divided into six sections, each of which can contain 15 heads of cows with calves. Feeders for calves are installed between the sections. From each section there are exits to the paddock. On the front sides of the building there are three doors: the central one - for the delivery of feed, the side ones - for the arrival of a bulldozer when removing manure. Tambours are equipped with dezpilka.

cleanups".

During the period of artificial insemination, the responsibility for the timely identification and selection of cows and heifers in the hunt is assigned to cattlemen, who are paid additionally for the fruitful insemination of animals in the first two months after calving.

At the end of the grazing period, the entire herd is checked for pregnancy by the rectal method. Non-pregnant cows and heifers are immediately culled and handed over for meat, as they are well-fed at this time, and it is not economically feasible to leave them in a stall.

1.3 The main technological elements in the maintenance of beef cattle

1. The distribution of feed during the stall period is carried out indoors in the feeders by means of a mobile feeder or using manual draft power. During the summer period, the entire livestock uses only pasture forage. Livestock can be kept at this time in camps near the pasture.

2. Watering of animals during the stall period is carried out in paddocks, where containers or automatic drinking bowls with AGK-4 electric heating are installed and where water pumps insulated for the winter are connected. In the summer, on pastures, animals can use water from natural reservoirs or water is brought in, as in dairy cattle breeding;

3. Cleaning of manure in the premises is carried out by a bulldozer 2 times a year: before the winter period and at the end of the stall.

1.4 Use of cultivated and improved natural

pastures in beef cattle breeding

Provision of highly productive hayfields and pastures for large cattle the meat direction of productivity is one of the main conditions for obtaining normatively clean livestock products. The creation of cultivated fodder lands for beef cattle should be one of the priority measures.

With the right creation, care and proper use of improved natural and cultivated pastures, they have high sustainable productivity and should become the main source of grass fodder for commercial beef herds.

Highly productive pastures provide the cheapest fodder for cattle, although the yield of nutrients when grazing forage crops is lower than when they are harvested for hay, silage and haylage. However, this difference, as a rule, does not compensate for the additional costs of cleaning, storing and feeding them to livestock.

During the summer, if possible, all beef cattle (with the exception of fattening stock) should graze on natural improved and cultivated pastures.

The herd of cows with suckling calves should not exceed 100 cows and the same number of calves (the difference in the age of the calves is up to 3 months). Pastures allocated for beef cattle must fully satisfy the needs of animals for nutrients and provide high average daily weight gain throughout the entire period.

Of great importance in improving the efficiency of cultivated pastures is their rational use. Free grazing of beef cattle should be replaced by paddock grazing.

The basis for the proper maintenance of beef cattle and the use of cultivated pastures is the systematic grazing of animals. Pastures are divided into separate areas - paddocks, more or less the same in terms of green mass, capable of providing fodder for 5 days. It is recommended to have 6 - 8 paddocks so that the first paddock can regenerate as the last paddock is used up.

To fence the pens, you can use wooden or reinforced concrete poles, which are installed at a distance of 5-6 m. Barbed galvanized wire is stretched in 4 rows with distances between them of 25-30 cm. Metal rods with a diameter of 5-6 are attached across the stretched threads in the middle of the spans between the poles mm, which ensures sufficient strength of the fence. Instead of wire, you can use wooden poles or a hedge of thorny bushes.

The paddocks are pitted by cattle one by one. When one cycle of use is completed, grazing begins with the corral that was first grazing. Animals graze on a small area of pasture, they use the herbage more fully, eating not only the most delicious and valuable legumes and cereal grasses, but also a significant part of the herbs.

Systemic use provides for the rest of herbs after grazing for 25-30 days, which is necessary for the formation of aftermath. When grazing in a corral for 3-5 days, beef cattle willingly and plentifully eat grass for the first days, subsequently the return of the corral decreases. Therefore, the division of large pens of cultivated pasture into areas of one-day grazing contributes to more efficient use herbage.

A further intensification of the system of keeping beef cattle and the use of one-day pens is the use of portioned grazing. With such grazing, the animals do not immediately use the entire area of the corral, they are distilled 2-4 times a day to areas with fresh grass. The allocation of daily pasture norms and their portion-wise grazing by beef cattle is carried out with the help of an electric fence, which the shepherd transfers several times during the day as the herbage is grazing. Particularly effective is the portioned grazing of overgrown herbage in the first and second cycles, when partially erupted cereal grasses are worse eaten by animals.

With a shortage of pasture fodder, when the average daily gain in live weight in calves is below 700 g, feeding of young animals with concentrated and green fodder should be organized. To do this, a paddock with a shady canopy for resting calves is equipped on a pasture near a watering place, where feeders and drinkers are placed. Calves have access to feed during the hot time of the day and during night rest through manholes that prevent the passage of cows.

Mobile drinking bowls can be used to provide water to animals in paddocks on pastures. If there are water sources, a watering hole is arranged directly on the pasture. Water is pumped into tanks, from which it flows by gravity through pipes into group automatic drinking bowls installed in pens. Animal watering - 2-3 times a day, and in the hot season, when the grass dries up, even more often.

The appetite of livestock is stimulated by feeding salt. To do this, in certain places of the corrals, a sufficient supply of it is created.

For calving during the pasture period, no additional buildings are required. On the day of calving, it is advisable to leave the cow at the summer camp. From the second day, a group of newly calved cows with calves are pastured near the campsites, and from the fifth or sixth day they are combined into a common herd.

2 Feeding beef cattle

Features of the organization of feeding beef cattle are associated with the reproduction of the herd and the rearing of calves according to the "cow-calf" system. The latter provides for seasonal (winter, early spring or spring) offspring during tour calving, rearing calves on suction until 6-8 months of age, followed by rearing and fattening of young animals after weaning.

Beef cattle are able to efficiently use pastures, as well as forage with a high fiber content.

2.1 Feeding cows

Since the only product of a beef cow is a calf, the feed consumption per cow with a calf is transferred per unit of growth in the live weight of the young. With this in mind, the consumption of feed for the growth of young animals in beef cattle breeding is much higher than in dairy cattle breeding. Beef cattle can use forage grass, straw, silage, haylage in large quantities, however, the diets must contain the right amount of all basic nutrients, as well as minerals and vitamins. This will maximize the pay for feed increments. Therefore, for the rational management of the industry, a strong and cheap fodder base is needed, optimization of the feeding of the broodstock and an all-round increase in the productivity of young animals in all age periods, especially up to 8 months of age.

For breeding stock, the most appropriate is a moderate level of feeding with a predominant content of roughage and succulent feed in the rations, fed with concentrates within the norms that provide sufficient fatness, normal reproductive functions and milk production. Increased feeding does not positive impact on the productivity of animals, but contributes to an increase in live weight due to excessive deposition of fat in the body and leads to an increase in the cost of production. Feeding norms for cows depend on their live weight and their physiological state. Given that the culling of the breeding stock is expected to be quite high and there will be a large number of young cows in the herd, the feeding rates should be increased by 5-10% compared to the existing ones.

When feeding beef cows, it is necessary to take into account the physiological state of the animal (Table 1). First of all, it is important to organize a full-fledged feeding of dry pregnant cows 2 months before calving, since during this period there is an increased growth of the fetus, and insufficient intake of nutrients in the mother's body can cause the birth of underdeveloped calves. In addition, the quality of colostrum depends on the level of feeding.

Table 1 - approximate rations for feeding cows with tours

Feed types	bed and new. cows with suckling calves up to 12 days old. age	Cows with suckling calves from 12 days. up to 2.5 months age	Cows with suckling calves from 2.5 to age

Spring straw, kg
Mixed grass haylage, kg
Corn silage, kg
Grass, kg
Concentrates, kg
Table salt, g
Feed phosphate, g
The diet contains: feed units
digestible protein, g
dry matter, kg
exchange energy, MJ

Feeding of lactating cows during the winter-stall period should be differentiated not only by live weight, but also by the period of lactation. This is especially true for the first 4 months of suckling calf rearing, when their growth and development are directly dependent on the milk production of mothers. The main feed for adult cattle in winter is hay, silage, haylage, straw and concentrates, in summer - grass from cereal-bean mixtures.

In summer, the grass of artificial and natural pastures is widely used. As a rule, during the entire grazing period, with a good herbage, livestock fully satisfies their nutritional needs due to green fodder, concentrated fodder is not fed. At this time, the daily ration of cows and heifers should consist of 45-55 kg of grass. Only deep-calving and fresh-calving cows are given concentrates during the stall period.

2.2 Feeding young animals during the suckling period

The productivity and economic efficiency of beef cattle breeding is determined by the yield of young animals, indicators of their growth and development before weaning. In beef cattle breeding, rearing calves under cows up to 6-8 months of age is one of the most important periods. Despite the fact that in the first 3-4 months after birth, the main food of calves is mother's milk and their development is directly dependent on the milk productivity of cows, feeding is very important, especially in the subsequent period of suckling rearing. At the same time, the quantitative and qualitative composition of feed used to feed calves depends on the period of calving cows, milk production of mothers and the age of calves (Tables 2, 3, 4).

Table 2 - scheme of feeding calves on suction during autumn-winter calving of cows

to obtain average daily gains of 800-850 g.

	Age, months

Live weight at the end of the period, kg
milk, kg
cereal-bean hay, kg
corn silage, kg
pasture grass, kg
seeded grass, kg
concentrates (mixture), kg
table salt, g
feed phosphate, g
In the diet contains: dry matter, kg
feed units
exchange energy, MJ
digestible protein, g

Table 3 - scheme of feeding calves on suction during winter-spring calving of cows

In a newborn calf, the mouth and nostrils are cleaned of the birth mucus. If the umbilical cord does not break, it is cut with clean scissors disinfected in a carbolic solution at a distance of 10-12 cm from the calf's abdomen. The end of the umbilical cord is disinfected. Then the calf is wiped dry with a clean towel, wrapped in burlap and taken to a dispensary, where it is placed in an individual cage.

In some farms, the calf is allowed to be licked by the mother. This promotes the release of the afterbirth and stimulates the activity of the mammary gland in the cow, and also improves breathing and blood circulation in the calf.

Calves can be kept in separate cages 1.2–1.4 m long, 1 m wide and 1 m high. The floor of the cage is covered with a thick layer of clean, dry straw. The air temperature in the dispensary should be 8-10°C.

After the calf dries, it is weighed, marked and given a nickname. At the age of 10-15 days, calves from the dispensary are transferred to separate cages of a common calf house. From the age of one month, healthy calves can be kept in group cages.

Depending on the direction of farms, three methods of rearing young animals are used:

the method of manual watering according to accepted and farming schemes;
rearing calves under nursing cows by shift-group suction;
Bozotemny method of growing under cows up to 7-8 months of age.

The latter method is used only on farms with meat cattle breeding.

When raising calves by artificial watering, about an hour after calving, the cows are milked and colostrum is immediately given to the calf. Cooled below 36-38 ° colostrum is heated by lowering a bucket of colostrum into hot water.

The calves are watered as many times as the cow is milked, and at the same hours. Colostrum for calves is an indispensable feed. It contains a large amount of proteins, minerals and vitamins, as well as special so-called immune substances. They have protective properties and contribute to the resistance of the body against various diseases.

In addition, colostrum, acting as a laxative on the intestines, frees it from the original feces. Drinking chilled colostrum causes diarrhea and other intestinal diseases in calves.

On the first day, the calf is given from 0.6 to 0.9 kg of colostrum in each dacha, on the following days up to 1-1.5 kg, for large healthy calves with a birth weight of 35-45 kg, the amount of colostrum is increased to 2 kg per day. every cottage. Depending on the live weight, the calf is fed 6-10 kg of colostrum per day. The daily milk supply in the first 10-15 days should be 1/5-1/6 of the calf's live weight.

If she gets sick or gives milk of poor quality, the calf is given milk from another cow that calved at the same time.

Calves are fed mother's milk until 10 days of age, and then transferred to mixed milk from healthy cows.

Starting from the age of five days, calves should be given 0.5 liters of boiled warm water (fresh milk temperature) an hour before drinking milk, which is especially important in case of diarrhea, when milk supply is reduced and the amount of water is increased. Calves should be fed from special two-liter glass bottles or aluminum mugs with a nipple.

From 10-15 days of age, calves begin to be taught to eat hay. In some advanced farms, calves are accustomed to hay from the fifth day of life. The best hay for calves is legumes (clover, alfalfa, vetch, sainfoin) harvested before flowering or at the very beginning of flowering. From the age of 20 days, calves are given small amounts of concentrates, first 50 g per head, then the dacha is gradually increased. The best concentrated feeds for calves are wheat bran, oatmeal and linseed cake.

Skimmed milk begins to be given no earlier than 3 weeks of age, gradually replacing whole milk with it.

From the second month they give succulent feed, starting from 100-200 g per day. The most useful for young animals are silage, red carrots, beets, and potatoes. Until 6 months of age, root crops are given finely cut, and boiled potatoes.

Corn silage fed to young stock must be of the highest quality. Young animals grown on silage grow strong and at the age of one year, on average, reach 230-240 kg of live weight, heifers by the period of the first mating weigh 300-320 kg, and castrated bulls at the age of 16-18 months - 340-350 kg.

Every day, calves should be given mineral supplements in the form of a mixture of chalk, bone meal and table salt, starting with 10 g per day.

Mineral feed is fed in a mixture with concentrates. By the age of 8-10 months of calves, the amount of mineral feed is adjusted to 35-40 g per day.

At first, concentrates are fed to calves in the form of jelly talker.

It is useful to give calves an infusion of bean hay. It is necessary to add the infusion to milk or talker, be sure to warm it up before feeding. You can use the prepared infusion only during the day. Hay infusion is given to calves aged from 1 to 4-6 months.

In winter, from the first days of life (on the 2-3rd day), calves are allowed to run in the calf aisles or special arenas for 15-20 minutes. From 8-10 days of age, in good weather in the middle of the day (from 10-12 hours), calves are released into pens near the calf house, first for 10-15 minutes and, gradually increasing the walking time, by one and a half to two months of age, the duration of walks is adjusted to 1, 5-2 hours. It is necessary to ensure that the calves do not lie down on the frozen ground during the walk.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the skin of calves. Twice a day they are brushed and washed dirty places. All work is carried out in a strictly defined time.

The method of rearing calves in unheated rooms deserves great attention.. In this method, newborn calves are transferred in winter to a calf barn that is not heated and placed in individual cages with abundant bedding. 7-8 kg of dry clean straw is spent on bedding. The top layer of bedding is changed 2-3 times a day, and the entire bedding - after 20-25 days.

Good nutrition, walks in the fresh air in good weather from the first days of life, low temperature of the calf promote intensive metabolism and increased vital activity of the body. The young growth develops strong and strong and further turns into highly productive animals of a strong constitution.

The main conditions for raising calves in an unheated room are an uninterrupted supply of feed, plentiful bedding, maintaining dry and clean air in the calf house and daily walks of the calves.

In a number of farms, group drinkers are used to feed milk to calves. For this, calves of milk age from 15-20 days to 6 months are kept in groups of 15-18 heads (according to the number of places at the group drinker). The calves are watered in a special room - a "dining room" from a group drinker. Water dispensers are also installed here. With this method of watering calves, the productivity of calf houses is significantly increased - a calf house can serve up to 60 calves instead of 25-30 with individual watering. The time for feeding one calf is reduced to 5 minutes. The cleaning of the calf house is greatly facilitated, since manure and slurry accumulate mainly in the feed room of the calf house.

Shift-group rearing of calves under nursing cows should be used in dairy farming along with other methods of rearing young animals. Its essence lies in the fact that a group of nurse cows is isolated on the farm, approximately 8-12% of the total number of cows, and, depending on their milk productivity, they grow up under each cow-nurse, 7-12 calves per lactation in 3— 4 rounds, each round lasting 80-90 days. One cow feeds four calves at the same time. With a drinking rate of 300 kg of whole milk per calf, 1200 kg of milk should go to four calves. A cow can give this amount of milk in 1-3 months of lactation. Then the calves are removed from suction, transferred to dairy-free rearing, and the second group of calves is allowed to the cow-nurse after the colostrum period. After the second group of calves, the nurse cow feeds the third, and sometimes the fourth group. Depending on the milk yield of the cow-nurse, the number of calves in each subsequent round can be reduced and brought up to three or two heads. At the end of lactation, the nurse cow sometimes raises one calf.

Calves for rearing under one cow should be selected of the same age, equal in weight and development.

Nurse cows should be healthy, calm in disposition, have good fatness and normal udders. Such cows willingly accept foreign calves. You can transfer a cow to a wet nurse at any month of lactation, but it is best at the beginning of it, on the 5-10th day. Newly calved cows are more willing to accept other people's calves. It is more profitable to use liquid milk cows as wet nurses, since the reduced fat content of milk does not interfere with the growth and development of the calf.

Before the first feeding of calves, the cow-nurse should not be milked for 10-12 hours. A cow is better at letting calves in with a crowded udder. Before letting the calves in, the udder of the cow-nurse is washed and massaged, the first streams of milk are milked off. The calf's head, back, sacrum and tail root are moistened with this milk so that the cow will better accept it. The whole group (2-4 calves) can be allowed near cows of a calm disposition at once, calves are allowed to go to obstinate nurses for the first feeding one by one, one after another. For the first time, calves should be helped to take the nipple into their mouth. Less energetic calves should be taught to the rear udder teats as they have more milk. For 3-4 days, calves get used to certain teats. The milk remaining in the udder after feeding must be milked, as it burnt in the udder can cause stomach upset in calves at the next feeding. From 10-12 days of age, calves are accustomed to juicy and roughage, so that they are prepared for dairy-free feeding by weaning. From the same age, calves need to be given raw water.

It is advisable to take away calves from nurse cows when they weigh about 2.5-3 times more than at birth. For the first days after weaning, calves raised under the same cow should be kept in the same cage or section to avoid weight loss.

In order for the cow to wean from calves, it is milked by hand 1-2 times after weaning, and then she willingly accepts the next group of calves.

In the summer, cows and calves are pastured together. For this, groups of 25-30 cows and 100-120 calves are selected.

The introduction of the method of shift-group suction of calves increases the productivity of calf houses. With this method of rearing young animals, one calf house serves 15-17 cows and 50-65 calves, while when rearing young animals by artificial watering, such a population of animals requires a milkmaid and two calves. Thus, labor costs are reduced by 3 times, therefore, the cost of rearing young animals is reduced.

When raising calves under nursing cows, it is not necessary to heat milk, pour it into drinkers, solder milk to calves, wash, disinfect and clean milk dishes. When manually watered, calves often suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, which is caused by contamination of milk. Latch-raised calves rarely get sick, because the milk they suck directly from the cow's udder has bactericidal properties that prevent the development of microbes and increase the acidity of milk.

On suction, calves grow well and give high gains.. Cases of mortality with this method of rearing calves are very rare. There are almost no gastrointestinal diseases in calves. Nurse cows, especially first-calf heifers, have a well-developed udder, and their milk productivity increases in subsequent lactations.

In meat herds, calves are grown in a paired non-weaned way, up to 7-8 months of age, two or more calves, under a cow-nurse. Usually, by this age, young animals reach 200-220 kg of weight. Gobies intended for delivery for meat, at the age of 2-3 months, are castrated according to the method of prof. Bayburtsyan. The essence of this method lies in the fact that during castration, the parenchyma of the testes is removed, leaving their appendages and connective tissue base. This ensures the preservation of the hormonal function of the gonads of the animal and contributes to better growth and its development. Bulls castrated by this method, when they reach 2 years of age, give 10% more weight gain compared to animals castrated in the usual way.

After weaning, bull-calves are overexposed for one winter, and during the next summer they are fattened in feeding and fattening herds. By the autumn of next year, they reach 350-400 kg of live weight and they are sold for meat. Heifers at the age of 18 months are sent to the replacement herd for artificial insemination.

Feeding and maintenance of calves in the post-milk period

In the post-milk period, calves are divided into groups according to sex and age for loose content. In summer, young animals should be kept in open pens equipped with sheds, feeders and automatic drinking bowls. From now on, calves should be fed ad libitum with silage, green fodder, supplemented with concentrates and mineral fodder.

6 months after the birth of calves, you can use approximately the following standards for feeding young animals up to 28 months of age.

During this period, the feeding of young animals should be organized in such a way as to obtain the weight gain planned by the plan and raise healthy animals of the desired type.

The live weight and weight gain of young animals in different age periods are planned based on the live weight of cows with completed growth. The average live weight of cows in the herd is taken into account for 2-3 years.

Well-developed heifers should be allowed into mating no later than 18 months of age, when they reach a live weight of 290-340 kg per breeding farms(75% of the weight of cows - the level of requirements of class I) and 250-290 kg on commercial farms (level of requirements of class II). In order to prepare heifers for calving 2-3 months before calving, they should be assigned to a milkmaid.

A significant number of owners of household plots and peasant farms today specialize in raising calves. The process of growing young cattle should be aimed at obtaining strong young animals, which will continue to show high productivity (milk, meat).

In order to obtain high productivity when raising calves, the owners of household plots and peasant farms for normal growth and development must create optimal conditions for feeding and keeping.

Depending on the direction of use (dairy or beef cattle), two types of calf keeping are adopted in Russia. In the context of large farms group maintenance is practiced, in the conditions of private household plots preference is given to individual cultivation. Sometimes for calves fattened for meat, it is practiced to raise calves under cows-breadwinners.

Group rearing of calves.

In dairy cattle breeding, a newborn calf is kept in an individual cage for the first two weeks (14 days) after calving; later, the calves are transferred to group cages of 5-10 heads. Why do special sections are made in the calf house. Every day, in order to maintain an optimal microclimate in the calf house, the owners of the LPH or the attendants carry out mechanical cleaning of manure in the cages, which is raked into the manure passage with a scraper and removed from there to the manure storage. After the manure is removed, the wooden floors are sprinkled with sawdust or straw.

A walking area is arranged next to the calf barn, on which a canopy is equipped from the sun and rain. Calves older than 2 months of age during the grazing period are daily released into the paddock, where there should be free access to water, hay and green mass.

Groups of calves to facilitate the feeding process are formed according to age. As they grow older, they are transferred from smaller enclosures to older ones, or to older calfs.

This rearing method requires a lot of physical labor from calves, and presents inconvenience to veterinary specialists when carrying out anti-epizootic measures, fortification, etc.

Individual cultivation.

At this method rearing calves immediately after they dry under an infrared lamp, they are placed in an individual house with a small open-air aviary ( cold method cultivation). It is better to place houses under a canopy, the walls are covered with a film during the cold season. For the construction of houses, a board is used, the height of the house is up to 1.5 meters, the floor area is 2-3 meters. Sawdust is poured at the bottom of the floor, on which straw is placed. Individual rearing of calves has an undeniable advantage over group rearing:

Calves grow healthier with increased body resistance.
The spread of infectious diseases of young animals (colibacillosis, salmonellosis, diplococcal infection) is prevented.
Optimal zoohygienic conditions are created (irradiation with ultraviolet rays, clean air, etc.).
Easier control by experts.

Raising calves under cows.

With this method, one cow is able to raise from 2 to 4 calves. With this method, the calves are placed in the compartments next to the stall of the cow-nurse and are allowed to go to her 3 times a day. At the same time, the cow should not have mastitis, the productivity of the cow should be at least 2 thousand liters, and have a good maternal instinct.

This method is especially attractive in those farms where calves suffer from massive diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. When growing calves under a cow, calf care is simplified, feed costs are reduced, and we gain weight gain of up to 650 g per day. When raising calves under a cow, it is necessary to feed it appropriately.

Cultivation of calves depending on their direction.

Depending on the planned direction of cultivation - dairy, meat or combined cultivation, the appropriate type of feeding is used. For heifers of dairy and combined productivity, when feeding, it is necessary to introduce as much coarse, succulent feed as possible into the feeding ration, and give concentrated feed in moderation. With this voluminous type of feeding, heifers are formed with increased level metabolism, they are especially good at developing the digestive, respiratory, etc. Teaching calves with early age eat a lot of vegetable feed, further contributes to their more complete and faster digestion and assimilation by the body, which ultimately contributes to a higher milk productivity of a cow grown from a heifer.

Additional information about digestion in calves can be obtained in our article - "".

When raising calves of meat breeds, the owners of household plots and peasant farms, on the contrary, should strive to organize feeding in such a way that in the diet in terms of nutritional value, the largest amount falls on feeds rich in protein (protein) - concentrated feeds, cakes and meals. This type of feeding of calves contributes to their intensive growth and precocity. In summer, especially in the areas of beef cattle breeding, beef cattle are grazed on good steppe grass-forb pastures, in winter it is more expedient to feed as many concentrates and other high-protein feeds as possible (cake, meal). The most intensive growth in calves of meat breeds goes up to 8 months of age. Considering that at the age of one to 15 months, beef calves have the ability to accumulate a large amount of muscle tissue with moderate fat deposition.

Calving cow.

Pregnancy (pregnancy) in a cow lasts 9 months. Of particular importance for the development of the fetus is the full feeding of a pregnant cow in the first and last quarters of pregnancy. In the first quarter of pregnancy, the viability of the organism is formed in the calf, and in its last period, the size and body weight of the calf grow especially intensively - up to 300-400 g. Over the last two months of the dry period, the body weight of the calf increases by 2/3. 1.5-2 months before calving, the owners of private household plots and peasant farms start the cow for a dry period (dry period). The cow's diet during the dry period should include 6-8 kg of good legume-cereal hay, 15 kg of good-quality silage or 8-10 kg of haylage, 5-10 kg of root crops and 2 kg of concentrates. In summer, the basis of the diet is green fodder. Dry cows should be fed adequately, but not excessively, to avoid obesity. Obesity of cows leads to difficult childbirth and the birth of weak calves.

Calving and receiving a calf. The owners of LPH and KFH judge the approach of a calving cow by the following signs: the ligaments in the pelvis and tail root are relaxed, the external genitalia swell, the genital slit increases in size, the cow lies most of the time, shows anxiety, often looks at the stomach. At the beginning of calving, the cow has periodic attempts. Having found these signs, the owners of the cow need to prepare for the reception of the calf. Replace soiled bedding.

A newborn calf is accepted on clean burlap. Immediately after the birth of the calf with a clean towel or gauze, remove the mucus from his nostrils, mouth and ears, wipe his lips and nasal mirror. The umbilical cord that did not break off at the hotel is cut off with scissors at a distance of 10-15 cm from the calf's abdomen and treated with iodine tincture or a solution of potassium permanganate. After that, we put the calf on a litter closer to the cow's head so that she can lick it. When licking a calf, a cow cleanses its body of mucus well, massages it, which has a positive effect on blood circulation and respiration. Additional information can be obtained in our article - "", "".

Usually, after the birth of calves, after 2.5-3 hours, they begin to suckle their mother.

Cultivation of calves of dairy and combined breeds.

Colostrum growing period. This growing period for calves lasts 7-10 days. The first time a calf should receive colostrum within 30-60 minutes after birth. In the future, for 3-5 days, warm colostrum in the amount of 1.5-2 liters is fed to calves 3-4 times a day. In no case should you feed colostrum from cows sick or recovering from mastitis. Under no circumstances should colostrum be given from cows with clear signs metabolic disorders, as well as patients with infectious diseases. In the absence of colostrum, it is replaced with fresh milk from a healthy, recently calved cow with the addition of fresh chicken egg from chickens from your backyard. From 3-5 days of age, calves are given boiled water cooled to the temperature of fresh milk (one hour before feeding or after the same interval after it). From a week old, the calf is taught to eat hay. For this, hay is harvested from small-stalked plants. If the cages in the calf barn are not equipped with feeders for roughage, then hay bundles are hung in the cages on strings. From 10-12 days of age, dry scattered or granular concentrates are laid out in feeders for calves, which are mixed with the appropriate amount of mineral supplements. Cages in a calf barn must be kept clean. Bedding contaminated with calf secretions is replaced with fresh. Cell walls are cleaned of dirt and feces. Do not keep calves on wet litter, as this can lead to body diaper rash and hair loss. Feeding troughs after each feeding are cleaned of food residues and washed.

With gross violations of the veterinary and sanitary rules for feeding and keeping calves, they get sick -, etc.

Milk growing period. During the milk period, the owners of private household plots and peasant farms usually use two methods of feeding calves: manual feeding with milk and skim milk or keeping calves under cows-breadwinners. When drinking milk manually, calves can be kept in group cages loosely for 5-15 heads from 15-20 days to 4-6 months of age. Cages for group keeping of calves are made quite spacious. For calves up to 2-3 months of age, there must be at least 1.2 m² of floor area per animal, up to 6 months of age - at least 1.5 m². The front and rear walls are made lattice, and the partitions between adjacent cells are solid. The height of the enclosing structures is 1m. For urine to drain, the floor in the cages must slope towards the manure canal. In cages with concrete floors, calves are kept on a deep litter, which is replaced once every 2-3 months.

On the south side of the calf house, a walking area with a hard surface is made at the rate of 5-8 m² per calf. Feeders for hay and green mass are installed on walking areas. In winter, bedding (straw or peat) is used here. The normal microclimate in the calf house is supported by supply and exhaust ventilation and heat supply.

Depending on the purpose of the calves and the planned gains, certain feeding patterns are established. If the calves are raised for non-breeding purposes, then the calves are given whole milk for up to 3-4 weeks, and then they are replaced with skimmed milk. Calves are completely transferred to the reverse from 2-3 months of age and fed to him up to 4-5 months. With such feeding, raising a calf requires 200-250 liters of whole milk and 500-800 liters of skim milk. If you plan to raise your calves for breeding, then they will need to drink 300-400 liters of whole milk and 500-800 liters of skim milk for up to 6 months. In order to save milk, a number of owners of household plots and peasant farms use a whole milk substitute when raising calves during the milk period.

From 20-25 days of age, calves begin to be fed with concentrates. At first, the calf is given no more than 50 g, then their number is gradually increased and by the end of the milk period is adjusted to 0.6-1.6 kg per calf.

Calves of dairy and combined breeds should be taught to eat a large amount of succulent and roughage with moderate use of milk and concentrates. Throughout the growing period, care must be taken to ensure that diets are balanced in protein. Starting from 2 weeks of age, calves are accustomed to hay. The best is bean, cereal or cereal-bean hay, which is harvested before flowering and at the beginning of flowering and dried for 2-3 days. Pastures for calves should be dry, with good herbage. From 3 weeks of age, calves are accustomed to wheat bran, oatmeal or a complete mixture of concentrates. From succulent feed, calves at the age of 2 months are given chopped carrots and fodder beets in winter. In summer, in addition to grazing, calves are given green mass in feeders.

Calves are fed 3-4 times a day at the same time. Mineral supplements are given to calves in a mixture with concentrates or in pure form. Salt is added daily to the diet of calves.

In large settlements Individual entrepreneurs and rural stores for growing calves sell specialized feed for calves of various age groups.

Compound feed for calves is a balanced product that contains all the vitamins, macro and microelements necessary for the growth of the calf, as well as biologically active substances with a high degree of activity (probiol, bifitsin, etc.), which ensure the normal development of the calf.

The compound feed for calves contains only exclusively vegetable components, which are necessarily cleaned and crushed. For example: 20% wheat, 20% wheat bran, 20% barley, 10% oats, sunflower meal 36%, table salt 1%, lime flour 1.6%, monocalcium phosphate 1%.

Raising calves under nurse cows.

The sucking method of rearing calves is that during a certain period the calves are given the opportunity to suck milk directly from the cow's udder. With this method, the calf receives milk at the optimum temperature, with full preservation of vitamins and immunobiological properties, in the necessary portions, not contaminated with microorganisms. With slow suction, milk is evenly mixed with the saliva of the parotid glands, and therefore a loose clot of calcium caseinate is formed in the abomasum under the influence of the chymosin enzyme, which contributes to better digestion and assimilation of milk. Calves raised under cows are less likely to get sick gastrointestinal diseases. In dairy cattle breeding, several groups of calves are grown under one cow, and this method is called shift-group suction. The first days after birth, the calves are left under their mothers; from the 5th-6th day, the calves are assigned in groups to certain nurse cows. Calves are weaned from nursing cows at the age of 2-3 months. The timing of weaning depends on whether the farm uses reverse feed and compound feed. Depending on the productivity, up to 4 calves are assigned to one cow for the period of suction. When assigned to a cow - the nurse of calves, it is assumed that each of the assigned calves should receive 4-6 kg of milk per day, and in total for a period of 350 - 360 kg. Healthy cows with a calm temperament and rather pronounced maternal instincts are selected as nurse cows. Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the udder, which should not be affected by mastitis. Before letting the calves in, they wash the udder at the wet nurse, massage it and give off the first streams of milk. Calves are allowed to nurse 3 times a day. After feeding, the udder teats are smeared with petroleum jelly.

Cages for calves are equipped with feeders. Calves are accustomed to hay, concentrates and succulent feed from the first days of suction.

In beef cattle breeding, calves are raised without weaning. The born calf is immediately allowed to the mother cow and kept on suction until 7-8 months of age. The cows are not milked. Calves are raised both with single and with double suction, in which each cow feeds her calf and adopted child. During the first 5-6 days, calves are fed with colostrum. In order for the cow to get used to the adopted child, his head, back and root of the tail are smeared with the milk of the nurse.

In the pasture period, after accustoming the calves to suckling, they are released to the pasture together with the cow, where they are kept during this period in a common herd.

In beef cattle breeding, seasonal calving is the most economical and technologically justified, and in farms that have enough well-equipped premises for keeping cows and suckling calves, calving is carried out in the first quarter. The calves born in these terms have time to grow up and get stronger before the grazing period, and in the future they use pasture well. In the case when there are no capital premises on the farm, calving of beef cows is carried out in April - May. At the same time, cows and suckling calves are kept on pastures, as a result of which labor costs are minimal.

To shelter animals during heat and bad weather near pastures, sheds closed on three sides are built, equipped with feeders. Salt must always be here. During the pasture period, when animals consume a large amount of green fodder, the need for table salt increases.

Young animals are beaten off from cows in September - October. Two weeks before weaning, it is advisable to accustom the young to eating concentrates. With a meager herbage, it is desirable to feed the young with concentrates throughout the entire suckling period.

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