Kaliber Calf Rearing Plan

Specialized assistance in Calf Rearing

The De Heus Kaliber® Calf Rearing Plan is a holistic rearing plan for dairy heifers. De Heus has developed a well-balanced plan, based on years of experience and expertise. It is designed to rear calves with ‘Kaliber’ in a healthy and economical way. ‘Kaliber’ refers to the animal’s proportions in terms of height, weight and size. This means that the young animal has good skeletal development without getting fat and achieving all this for a 24month old age at first calving. To achieve a heifer with ‘Kaliber’ we distinguish 4 different growth phases:

The Starting phase 0-5 Months

The starting phase is meant to give the calf a solid basis for optimal future development. The goal is to achieve optimal and safe growth during the infant period by using calf milk replacers together with Kaliber® Starter. After weaning, the daily growth must continue to increase. The combination of Kaliber® Starter and excellent quality hay ensures the best development in terms of rumen volume, as well as the rumen wall.

The Youth phase 5-8 Months

The objective of this phase is to utilize maximum growth. Growth in this phase is very efficient when the right ration is provided. It is important to stimulate maximum daily intake and supply growth with specific feed. During this phase, the ration consists of good quality roughage supplemented with Kaliber® Starter and then switching to Kaliber® Junior at 6 months of age.

The Puberty phase 8-14 Months

The puberty phase is crucial in the rearing of heifers. The heifer’s skeleton needs to continue to develop in length and height, without the deposition of fat. Animals with ‘Kaliber’ have visible ribs and a visible backline, as well as dry udder tissue. In this phase, the percentage of compound feed in the final ration is reduced or phased out. Make use of Kaliber® Junior and switch to Kaliber® Senior when appropriate.

The gestation phase 14-24 Months

Heifers are ready for insemination and gestation in this phase. The development objective is continued growth with minimal fat deposition. A well-developed heifer enables the calf to grow properly inside her and to come into the world as a healthy animal. ‘Kaliber’ heifer's calf easily, are active and are able to consume higher amounts of roughage. Make use of Kaliber® Senior products depending on the situation.

The Kaliber® Calf Rearing Plan works! Kaliber® products, top quality roughage and the comprehensive Kaliber® concept result in a heifer with ‘Kaliber’, a calving age of 24 months and a higher lifetime production. For you, this means lower rearing costs and optimal returns. For more information and a detailed feeding program speak to your nearest Technical Advisor today.