PubMed1977
Under the conditions of a pilot experiment on two farms the authors tested the system of calf rearing in which the calves were separated from their mothers immediately after birth to be kept in specially equipped rearing facilities. In calf-house K with a semi-continual system of operation the total number of calves reared on milk nitrition was 959 and the average daily weight gain in individual groups (41 to 75 days from birth) ranged, with the exception of four groups, from 0.50 to 0.78 kg, depending on the deterioration or improvement of the conditions of operation, tending, or hygiene, In calf-house D with the all-in all-out system of operation where 391 calves were reared, the average daily weight gain in individual groups (55 to 84 days from birth) was 0.70 to 0.87 kg, with the exception of four groups. The calves reared in this way maintained good growth ability also in fattening, showing the average weight gain of 1.00 kg and 1.08 kg in groups transferred from the vegetable-nutrition department of the houses to a disinfected stable, in comparison with the 0.77 kg and 0.85 kg gains in groups, transferred to stables with the continual system of operation. Heifers were ready for the first insemination at the age of 20 to 23 months. The method of calf-rearing without mothers, based on controlled supply of colostrum to calves reared in closed populations in clean environment disinfected in advance, enables the production of "minimum-morbidity animals" giving excellent results in all parameters of production.