While it may seem welfare-friendly to leave calves with their dams for the first 24 hours, there is a strong health argument for removing them immediately after birth. The first drink is the best. Not your early morning cuppa, but a newborn calf's intake of immunity-giving colostrum. That's why the present-day welfare regulations* require each calf to receive colostrum within the first six hours of birth. Defra goes further in recom-mending calves are left on the dam for at least 12 (and preferably 24) hours to ensure maximum antibody absorption. Sucking a teat also stimulates the natural reflex where the oesophageal groove channels colostrum into the fourth stomach (abomasum) for digestion.
展开▼
