Weaning the calf immediately after birth allows controlled milk feeding hence, saving milk for human consumption and profitability. Since the new born calf is incapable of digesting solid feed, milk or milk replacer diets have been provided along with grains and forage as early as a week in order to prepare a pre ruminant calf to ruminant. But a serious ongoing problem is with the stress the calf faces such as early separation from the mother, mother’s milk, care and attention and failure of passive immunity transfer. Many protocols have been followed to reduce the problem of weaning stress and one of the more practical applications is the separation of the cow and calf through fence line contact.
Saroj Rai*
ICAR- National Dairy Research Institute, ERS- Kalyani, West Bengal - 741235, INDIA
Jyotimala Sahu
R. Behera
A. Muhammad
M.K. Ghosh
T.K. Dutta
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