Bedding, the simple solution

The power of bedding is often overlooked on the farm, but it’s actually a simple and economical solution to some leading calf health challenges. In fact, deep straw bedding can help producers minimize respiratory disease, scours and reduced growth – three of the leading calf health problems – and it’s a good place to start if a herd is experiencing health issues.

Veal Farmers of Ontario has a resource called A producer guide to evaluating nesting scores that offers practical tips and photos for producers about how to get the most bang out of the bedding buck. It’s based on the nesting score system developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to help guide producers in their calf bedding management.

Why does good bedding matter?

Calves spend up to 20 hours a day or 80 per cent of their time lying down and research suggests that just like cows produce more milk when they spend more time lying down, calves that spend more time resting are also better performers.

It’s important that calves use the milk and feed they consume to grow and not to keep warm, especially in the cold winter months. Calves that experience cold temperatures can become stressed, making them more susceptible to disease and lower growth rates. That’s why clean, dry, and plentiful bedding is an important part of ensuring animal welfare and keeping calves healthy.

Good bedding is also critical for newly born calves, especially as their navels are drying out and healing. If navel infections are a particular challenge, evaluating and making changes to calf bedding could be a simple and economical solution to better early calf health.

A bed of straw

Straw provides the best insulation for calves and it’s also very absorbent – both characteristics that are key to encouraging good calf health. Make sure straw bedding it is at least about three inches (eight centimetres) deep and that it is clean and dry.

If the straw looks clean, but you’re not sure if it’s dry all the way through, there’s a quick and easy way to find out: the kneel test. Kneel in the straw for 20 seconds and if your knees get wet, add another layer of bedding, or remove and replace the bedding entirely. Do this test regularly to monitor bedding quality.

Add smaller amounts of bedding multiple times instead of putting all the straw out at once. This keeps the top layer from becoming compacted and helps with dryness.

The nesting score

How much straw is required will depend on the time of year and whether or not the animals are wearing calf coats. Use the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s nesting score system to determine what your calves need:

Nesting score 1: the bedding doesn’t cover any part of a calf’s foot or leg when the animal is lying down. This score is not appropriate for winter but is observed in the summer when calves are bedded with sand or wood shavings.

Nesting score 2: the calf is nestled slightly, with the lower leg partially covered by bedding and part of the upper leg remaining visible. In winter, this score would only be appropriate if the calf is also wearing a calf coat, which increases the nesting score by one. Without the coat, there is not enough bedding for the calf to nest in and stay sufficiently warm.

Nesting score 3: the calf’s legs are not visible when it is lying down in the straw. The straw is deep enough to allow the calf to nest, trapping warm air around its body. The ideal depth is three to four inches (7.6 to 10 centimetres) of shavings, topped with 12 inches (30 centimetres) of straw.

Good bedding and plenty of it is the most economical way to keep calves healthy. Preventing or minimizing illness means avoiding costly treatments and other losses down the road.