Guest guest Posted January 12, 1999 Report Share Posted January 12, 1999 Hare Krsna dasi *************************** The "Minimum Cow Protection Standards" are impressive. They are sure to give a lot of relief to both cowherds and their community managers who are looking for guidance about the best way to protect the cows. Looking through the guidelines, I came across one standard which needs to be reworded to make it clearer, but I thought I would take the opportunity to elaborate on the topic to some extent and to see if others have additional information to add. The standard is under Section 5) MILKING: 5.3) A Calf and Mother a) Should have continuous association for the first ten days so the calf can acquire the essential colostrum. b) Should have access to mother after milking morning and evening for at least fifteen minutes each time. c) Should be weaned no earlier than six months, weaning must be gradual. My primary concern is that if the calf has continuous association with the mother for the first ten days, there is a risk of the calf's developing life-threatening diarrhea or scours from overconsumption of milk. I think the standard needs to be changed so that inexperienced cowherds realize the dangers of overfeeding the calf. **I leave the rewording to you all - since I am not good at saying things in a few words.** Now some discussion on this topic. First my own experience. When Mother Kaulini and I learned to milk the cows at Gita-nagari in 1988, the herdsman was Sri Krsna dasa, an exceptionally knowledgeable and pukkha herdsman who actually had a degree in breeding cows from Penn State University, a well-known ag school. Sri Krsna told us that it was important not to over-feed the calf. Since he had been trained at a university, his method was to bottle-feed the calf, no more than half a gallon (about 2 liters). (Our cows were Brown Swiss, a large breed, like Holsteins) whose sons were strong oxen.) We fed the calf only at milking time. One important aspect of Sri Krsna's practice was to let the calf take its fixed amount, but also to milk the cow completely dry each time so that she would produce more and more milk. Naturally, humans do not usually like the colostrum or first milk the cow produces, because it is so high in fat and protein. (Although I think in parts of India, colostrum is used to prepare a special pudding.) However, the antibiotic properties of the mother's colostrum as a disease-preventive for the calf are very well known - both in traditional societies and in professional dairy practice. Some farmers refrigerate the extra colostrum produced by the cow. Sri Krsna just let it sit out in buckets in the clean milk house. My experience was in the winter and early spring before fly season, I think he would have covered them later in the summer - but of course the breeding was done in the late summer-early autumn so that the cow would have her calf just as the pastures were getting nice and green in the spring and early summer. He would let the buckets of colostrum milk sit on top of our unused milk tank. There they developed a culture, much like yogurt, which prevented them from spoilage. When we fed the calf at the end of milking time, we would give it fresh colostrum from the mother for the first few days. Then, once the cow started giving regular milk, we would bottle feed the calf on the colostrum mixed with hot water. The mixture was warm and filling, and had the advantage of giving the calf extra colostrum for a number of days. Since he was trained at a school for commercial farmers, Sri Krsna did not nurse the calf with the cow. Neither were our stalls designed to make that possible. However, if I were doing it again, I think I might have tried letting the calf nurse directly from the mother in the morning, and then taking a bottle in the evening, to get the extra colostrum. The calf was supposed to eat about one half gallon twice a day, that is a total of one gallon per day. But if the calf had been left with the mother it would surely have died, as those cows were purebred and produced lots of milk. This was before the days of hormones or BST, which I am sure we never would have used anyway. But the cows were taking grain, soy and molasses mixture, plus excellent hay, plus rotational grazing on a paddock of alfalfa pasture. I remember about a week after she had her calf, our Lugloo gave us 10 gallons (20 liters?) of milk in one day (3x milking). A calf could never have drunk that much. Our method was to bottle feed, but the bottle had to be scrupulously cleaned with hot water and detergent and completely dried by the air ("Of purifiers, I am the Wind") before we put milk in it. Also the mother's udder is washed with warm water and mild cleansing detergent before milking. Immediately, the calf was given access to small amounts of hay and water. After about a week or so, we would start offering him grain. The cowherd would dip his (or her) damp hand in the grain and put his hand in the calf's mouth. The calf likes to suck on your fingers and takes some of the grain off in the process. Quickly he develops a liking for grain. But, we were careful about giving access to green pasture very gradually, for fear of bloating. I found a few quotes from others that I submit for your consideration and discussion. First, of course is from Srila Prabhupada: *************************************** >>Bhagavan: There was a question about the cows: At what point should the calf be separated from the mother? Because sometimes when the calf is separated, the mother, she cries. Prabhupada: No, they should not be taken away. Bhagavan: Shouldn't be. Hari-sauri: I think in all our farms they do that. Bhagavan: I heard in New Vrindaban they took them away very early. Hari-sauri: The problem is that the calves drink so much milk that they become very sick, so they have to separate. Prabhupada: Therefore they should not be allowed always. Once in a day, that's all. Hari-sauri: Oh. Prabhupada: Not too much allowed, but once. At least while milking they should be allowed to drink little milk, and that will encourage the mother to deliver more milk. Hari-sauri: Oh. At the same time they're milking the cow, the calf can come. Prabhupada: Yes. They can bring it milk. And while milking, the calf may be standing before the mother. Hari-sauri: They do that in India. Prabhupada: So she will not be sorry. Completely separation is not good. And after birth at least for one week the calf should be allowed. Because after this giving birth the milk is not fit for human consumption. The calf should not be allowed to eat more, but at the same time the mother must see once, twice, then it will be all right. Of course, we are born in big, big towns, we do not know, but I know this is the process. In Allahabad I was keeping cow, there was facility. Bhagavan: I don't think our farms are doing like that. In New Vrindaban they do? Hari-sauri: What, letting the calves come? I don't think so. You can write a letter to... The whole system's so perfect, it's completely satisfying in every respect. Prabhupada: And if you make others dissatisfied for your pleasure, that is sinful. You should act in such a way that nobody is dissatisfied. Then there is balance. -Paris, August 2, 1976 - Room Conversation New Mayapur Farm ************************************* Once again, we see that Srila Prabhupada is applying that principle: Sarve sukhino bhavantu - Make everyone happy. For Prabhupada "everyone" automatically includes the cows. One year we figured out how to have the calf associate constantly with the mother, but not over-nurse. We had a very nice cow named Visaka. Her udder was so heavy that it needed support. Devotees got some kind of support item for her, in principle it was like a brassiere. The calf got his milk in the morning, but could stay with her all day in the pasture because he couldn't get any milk from her. Both the cow and calf were very happy. Sri Krsna prabhu really liked this system. What do other cow experts say? Here's Dirk van Loon, a Cornell graduate in agriculture, who keeps his own family cow in Nova Scotia, who seems to think it is usually alright to leave a calf with the mother: *************************** >>If the calf scours [gets diarrhea], take her off the cow for a day and then let them run together by increasing the numbers of hours a day until they have adjusted to each other. [and later] >>LEAVING THE CALF WITH ITS MOTHER There are two reasons for taking a calf from its mother - to save milk and to make milking and calf feeding simpler. She doesn't have to be take away from her mother at all. This past summer a man down the road was keeping a cow and calf together in a pasture. For the time being he had no reasonable way to keep them apart. He would ilk his cow morning and night while the calf looked on, fat from her own feeding whenever the spirit moved. The last I heard the man was getting about 14 quarts (3 and a half gallons or 7 liters) a day above what the calf was taking. Since bottle feeding schedules strictly limit a calf's intake of milk, I wondered how it could be that this calf wasn't being destroyed through eating more than she should of that laxative food...Given the opportunity to eat all she wants, a calf takes a sip now and then, and through the day drinks far more than she could handle in two or three gross feedings. She takes what she needs and she leaves the rest. And if that isn't taken by hand milking, the cow slows down her production. –Dirk van Loon The Family Cow ************************* Here is Juliette de Bairacli Levy: ************************** >>In Mexico, Spain, Arabia and other countries where natural animal husbandry is habitually practiced, the calves are allowed to run with their mothers on the hill pastures and feed from the parent. Indeed all the family pasture together, bull, cow and calf. The calves only partly use up their mother's heavy milk yield...and there is plenty of milk left for the owner of the herd... The most general causes of death among young calves are sudden and extreme changes in temperature, over, under or irregular feeding, worm infestation, food poisoning. Calves should always be kept slightly hungry, digestive troubles due to the calves consuming more food than they can digest are thus avoided. >>[Remedy for diarrhea includes an internal cleansing "drench" of 2 oz Epson salts disolved in a half pint brew of dill seed water, then fasting, then gradually feeding on special gruel. p. 196] – Juliette de Bairacli Levy The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable ************************* And finally, Bruce Haynes, a well-known doctor of veterinary medicine: ************************* COLIBACILLOSIS [diarrhea or scours] Colibacillosis is a major disease of the young encountered primarily in calves, pigs and lambs. It also affects foals and kids, although less frequently. The disease takes two primary forms, enteric, involving the intestinal tract to cause profuse diarrhea, and septicemic (in the blood stream), which may cause sudden death with no premonitory signs. Colibacillosis is the leading component of the neonatal diarrhea complex commonly called "scours." The causative organism, Escherichia coli, is a common environmental contaminant found universally in manure...Experimentally, minute quantities of E. coli endotoxin given intravenously have been shown to produce circulatory collapse and death in a matter of minutes...Colibacillosis is more frequent when large numbers of young animals are housed in close confinement. The Enteric Form The enteric form is most common in dairy calves, pigs and lambs...The route of infection is primarily oral, making sanitation an important factor in control. Typically it appears within the first week after birth. Although there is usually a moderate fever at the outset, the first sign noted may be a pasty or watery yellowish diarrheas which has a foul odor...After the affected animals refuse feed and because of tremendous fluid loss from the diarrhea, they rapidly become dehydrated. Without treatment the disease usually terminates in coma and death within three to five days. In some dairy herds calf mortality from this disease may approach 100 percent... Prevention Clearly, colibacillosis is a serious and complex disease that must be prevented by whatever means possible. **The single most effective method is to ensure that all newborn animals receive colostrum as soon as possible after birth.** The majority of older animals, through prior exposure to pathogenic strains of E. coli, will develop protective antibody that is transferred in colostrum... Overeating is a common predisposing factor for all types of gastrointestinal disease and is a frequent cause of nonspecific diarrhea in dairy calves. Restricting milk intake to 10 percent of body weight [calves are "weighed" by measuring a tape measure around their belly] for the first seven to ten days will help to prevent trouble. And of course, sanitation is important. Animals born in a filthy environment are certain to be exposed to overwhelming numbers of E. coli... Treatment ....In many cases the disease is compounded by the loss of tremendous volumes of fluid and electrolyte resulting in dehydration. For best results this loss must be replaced by equivalent quantities of electrolyte solution given intravenously and orally. Good results have been reported in calves when no milk at all is given for twenty-four hours. Instead, a simple homemade electrolyte formula is given: Table salt - one heaping teaspoon Baking soda - one heaping teaspoon Water - one gallon [3 liters?] [This formula] given instead of milk for twenty-four hours will relieve the diarrheas by reducing the number of organisms present, and at the same time counteract loss of sodium and chloride ions as well as correct the acidosis that occurs with dehydration. The calf with diarrhea but not yet severely dehydrated will need two quarts of this warmed solution every eight hours for the first day. After that, milk diluted with the same solution to fifty percent of normal concentration can be fed. Gradually increase the percentage of milk until it is back to normal at the end of the third day. This procedure will save many calves that would otherwise die... Prevention The really important thing is to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place. The following suggestions have proven helpful: * Keep the calving pen...as clean and sanitary as possible. [sri Krsna's favorite place was a clean pasture.] *Insofar as possible, isolate newborn animals from each other. *Don't overfeed. Although it may seem heartless, keeping newborn animals on the hungry side for the first few days helps insure their survival. *Thoroughly scrub and sanitize feeding equipment after each use. *Provide supplemental heat, especially for lambs and piglets. *Be certain that newborn animals get colostrum as soon after birth...Colostrum can be frozen in plastic bags and kept almost indefinitely. It's a good idea to keep some on hand to fee the animal that becomes an orphan soon after birth. - N. Bruce Haynes, D.V.M. Keeping Livestock Healthy: A Veterinary Guide to Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Goats & Sheep, Third Edition. (Pownal, Vermont, Garden Way Publishing, Storey Communications, 1994) ISBN: 0-88266-884-6 {this book is a classic} ************************ So there we have slightly different opinions from different experts, but all agree that to save the life of the animal, milk must be withheld from a calf with diarrhea. It would be good to hear from other with experience in this area. Hopefully this information will help save calves. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 1999 Report Share Posted January 13, 1999 Dear devotees from cow conference, Please accept my humble obeisances. >The standard is under Section 5) MILKING: > >5.3) A Calf and Mother >a) Should have continuous association for the first ten days so the calf can >acquire the essential colostrum. >b) Should have access to mother after milking morning and evening for at least >fifteen minutes each time. >c) Should be weaned no earlier than six months, weaning must be gradual. > >My primary concern is that if the calf has continuous association with the >mother We here have diferent experience also. I mean especially with this word CONTINUOUS. We had an ex herdsman who was guiding us in taking care of our cow. He was old and his entire life he has spent with cows and sheeps. He was our advisor. He advised us to keep the calf just near the mother so she can feel his presence always having him on her sight and very near, but to tight them so that they cannot turn to each other sso that the calf can suck. In that way he sucked only when we allowed him to do so. Your servant, Maha-ratha das Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 1999 Report Share Posted January 14, 1999 Re: Standard 5.3 and Preventing Calf Diarrhea TextCOM2011220 (28 lines) Date:13-Jan-99 10:12 +1000 COM: SFCP Gopala (Paramesvari dd & Maha-ratha das - YU) <sfcp.gopala (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> To:Cow (Protection and related issues) Dear devotees from cow conference, Please accept my humble obeisances. >The standard is under Section 5) MILKING: > >5.3) A Calf and Mother >a) Should have continuous association for the first ten days so the calf can acquire the essential colostrum. >b) Should have access to mother after milking morning and evening for at least fifteen minutes each time. >c) Should be weaned no earlier than six months, weaning must be gradual. > >My primary concern is that if the calf has continuous association with the mother. We here have diferent experience also. I mean especially with this word CONTINUOUS. We had an ex herdsman who was guiding us in taking care of our cow. He was old and his entire life he has spent with cows and sheeps. He was our advisor. He advised us to keep the calf just near the mother so she can feel his presence always having him on her sight and very near, but to tight them so that they cannot turn to each other sso that the calf can suck. In that way he sucked only when we allowed him to do so. Your servant, Maha-ratha das Comment 980113: 'continuous association for the first ten days', when I wrote the above standard the purpose was to stress that the calf and cow should have full access to each other for <the first 10 days of the calves life>. This is based on the following reasoning acquired from over 20 years of daily experience and observation added to this reference from sastra and sadhu (after testing). 1. Cows milk contains, following calving, colestrum which when consumed by them is poisonous to their spiritual life. 2. This colestrum is present for 10 days. Western scientific research states, it is present in large amounts for the first 4 days, after which it decreases gradually over the following week then from then on is only found in trace amounts (less than 0.5% of milk total). The first three days (under normal conditions) the calf is not to focused an will normally feed every few hours in small amounts, then gradually as the consume more at each feeding they will decrease the number of times they feed. Usually by the tenth day they are feeding twice a day. At this time I begin to restrict their access to their mother to two fifteen minute periods following the cows milking (one in the AM and the other in the PM). They do not need 15 minutes and usually can clean out all milk in under 5 minutes, but I allow them to associate (grooming is the main activity that takes place). This then is the calves regular activity until about a month before weaning takes place. Prior to weaning (one month) the evening feeding is dropped. Each calf is weaned when it reaches a certain weight (based on breed and its rate of development). If a calves coat changes color (becomes darker) I stop the milk feeding of milk. The change in colour is indicative of a change over from a single stomach to four stomachs (stomach develops into four pouches at maturity). Breed has an affect also on when this occurs, usually the smaller breed mature quicker as also the Taurus breeds do (the non-humped cows of European descent). The only times I have had trouble with calf scours is: 1. In our winter (mid- December to mid-February) when it is frequently windy, very humid (+90%) and near freezing (25 to 55`F, -4 to 13`C). Scours usually occur after a warm spell (60 to 70`F, 15 to 21`C). 2. Those cows that are high butterfat producers (very common in Jerseys). When the two above conditions are present (together or singularly) I will skip a feeding on those who have problems (with young calves I usually spend their feeding time watching them, this means I spend 30 minutes a day observing them and their mother). If the problem is not solved then I bottle feed using 1/2 mothers milk and 1/2 from another cow fed at each feeding (morning and evening) in 1 litre bottle (more than 1 quart); if the calf is also exhibiting dehydration another feeding of warm water (if they have diarrhea, this warm water is in the form of oak bark tea) fed at mid-day. We have a large number of Jerseys here and some bloodlines seem to more prone to scouring, these calves I have bottle feed in the evenings with the above mixture letting them have access to their mother only in the morning. ys, Rohita dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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