The solution to your gestation phase - Kaliber Senior
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
To achieve a heifer with ‘Kaliber’ we distinguish four different growth phases. These are the:
- Starting Phase from 0-5 months
- Youth Phase from 5-8 months
- Puberty Phase at 8-14 months
- Gestation Phase from 14-24 months
Early phases of calf rearing (phase one to three) have enjoyed a fair amount of research and attention by the industry and farmers themselves. The trend is to take good care of replacement heifers up to one AI time. However, after this point there is a minimum of another nine months before lactation starts that these replacement heifers STILL GROW and must also look after the calf growing inside them. This is called the Gestation Phase and the importance of this phase is easily overlooked and neglected. Too often a lot of hard work done in the first year of the heifer’s life can be undone in the second year.
To combat the potential shortfall in this phase while also adhering to practical limitations on farm, De Heus developed two products to address this phase. The Kaliber Senior product range boast with two scenario specific products and has already produced great results across South Africa. The two common scenarios for replacement heifers are often either been given supplemental maize silage with little to nothing else or are being put out on grazing in pasture-based systems. It goes without saying that the two approaches differ significantly and thus require two different products to meet the requirements of the Kaliber calf rearing plan.
The two products thus developed for the range is:
Kaliber Senior 22% (V29628):
In the first scenario where animals are given not much more than a basal ration of maize silage, protein can often be under fed and yet crucially needed for growth in this phase. This will reduce carcass growth and give animals a shorter rounder demeanour, and often overweight in relation to height. Kaliber Senior 22% (V29628) pellet is ideal for these situations and easy to feed. It can be used either as a supplemental feed or worked into a fully balanced ration by your Technical Advisor.
Kaliber Senior 13% (V29422):
The second scenario where animals are fed on pasture-based systems, protein is not the first limiting factor, but often quality protein, energy and minerals are as a combination. The Kaliber Senior 13% (V29422) pellet slots into this need perfectly and supplies a high-quality protein while having a low crude protein level, to ensure not over supplying protein. In pellet form it is also easy to feed and supplies much needed energy and minerals.
Kaliber Senior products provide:
- High quality protein with no NPN in the Kaliber Senior 13% variant. It supplies more bypass protein than other products available on the market. While soluble protein is available from lush pasture, the bypass protein in the Kaliber still influences and promote skeletal growth which will later influence her productivity in the milking herd.
- High quality protein with low levels of NPN in the Kaliber Senior 22% variant. It is lower in energy to supplement a silage-based diet to perfection. The bypass protein in the Kaliber still influences and promote skeletal growth which will later influence her productivity in the milking herd.
- Kaliber Senior combines several energy sources giving the growing heifer a balanced energy source that meet her required needs.
- Kaliber Senior provides adequate minerals and vitamins especially phosphorus which can be beneficial for growth, reproduction, and metabolic function.
- Kaliber Senior is well priced especially when delivered in bulk. The product is pelleted, improving intake, and reducing wastage.
The Kaliber Senior approach is not new to the De Heus package and have been used with huge success in the northern regions of South Africa as well as the Southern Cape. Recently great success has also been at the order of the day in several Natal farms with the addition of Kaliber Senior 13% (V29422) to many calf rearing units.
The photos below features the high quality heifers at Struan Farm (Kwa-Zulu Natal) supplemented daily on Kaliber Senior 13% (V29422) pellets.
Should you feel that this phase of your production system on your farm has a need that can be better addressed then be sure to speak to your local De Heus Technical Advisor today for more information on the Kaliber Calf rearing plan as well as Kaliber Senior Products - https://www.deheus.co.za/meet-our-team
