Newborn calves should have access to clean, fresh water after each milk feeding. Young calves prefer warm water. A palatable starter grain should be available to nursing calves within a couple of days of birth. Space requirements for feed and water for nursing calves fed from buckets in individual pens is obvious. However, some consideration must be given for adequate feed and water space for calves housed in groups.
From extension of observational studies of adult cows and simple experience, fresh feed delivery is the primary motivator for cattle to come to the feedbunk to eat. With grain feeding of young calves or limit-feeding of older heifers, all members of a group should have space to eat at the same time to ensure that the smallest, most timid individuals have similar access to feed as the larger or more high-ranking heifers in the group. Heifer groups fed a total mixed ration should also have adequate space for the entire group to eat all at once to prevent timid calves from having access to feed only after it has been sorted by higher-ranking heifers.
The feeding area must be of an appropriate throat and table height for the size of calves or heifers using it. Dividers or headlocks along the feed bunk will deter ‘boss’ individuals from pushing lower-ranking heifers away from the feed. Slant bar feed fences will allow the use of a taller neck rail to avoid potential injuries from heifers reaching for feed. These should be tilted just to the front of the support posts. Post-and-rail feed barriers should be reserved for older heifers greater than about 8 months of age, and must be placed lower to prevent heifers from walking out of the pen.
Although calves do express allelomimetic behavior around water as well as feed, the more important issue is to have at least one point of water access per group and more access points as heifers get older. If calves or heifers are brought back to a pen from an extended time away from water, it is even more essential to ensure adequate space for many to drink at the same time, particularly in times of heat stress. When choosing waterers for young calves, be sure waterers are not too tall. Small calves may have difficulty reaching water if the trough is placed on the feed table. If waterers will be placed in the bedded pack area, calves should only have access to the waterer from the feed alley to reduce the spoilage of bedding.
Placing waterers in the feed manger may impede water access to small calves and may also create an obstacle for cleaning the feedbunk
Ensure all calves can access feed at the same time to avoid the situation where the smallest, most timid calves do not get to eat until the larger, higher-ranking calves have already sorted the feed. This is particularly important for heifers on a limit-fed diet.
Guard water access from the bedded pack area to avoid creating more wet bedding and less usable, dry resting space
Feed and Water Space Requirements for Calves and Heifers by Weight
| Heifer Measurements | Body Weight (lb) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <132 | 132 | 220 | 331 | 441 | 661 | 882 | 1102 | |
| Approximate age (Holstein), months* | 1 | 1.5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11.5 | 15.5 | 20 |
| Feeding space, width per head | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
| Feed manger floor height above litter alley floor | 4 | |||||||
| Throat height above litter alley floor** | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 16.5 | 18 | 19.5 |
| Neck rail height (slant bar)*** | 30 | 30 | 34 | 38 | 41 | 44 | 48 | 50 |
| Neck rail height (post & rail)*** | 28 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 38 | 44 | 46 |
| Water trough perimeter per head | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Maximum water height | – | – | – | 29 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 34 |
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*Feed and water space requirements are determined by the body weight of heifers on an individual farm. The approximate age of Holstein heifers is listed for comparison only. **Total throat height. The top edge of the bottom rail of headlocks should be no higher than this measurement. ***A diagonal bar feeding fence is preferred over a post-and-rail feed bunk for calves under 8 months old to prevent calves from escaping. |
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Anonymous, 2001. Interdisciplinary report “Housing Design of Cattle – Danish Recommendations. 2001. The Danish Agricultural Advisory Center. Translated into English and issued in 2002.Hoffman, P.C. and R. Plourd, 2003. Raising Dairy Replacements. MidWest Plan Service. Ames, IA.Penn State Calf & Heifer Housing, Special Circular 303. The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Service. University Park, PA.