John M. Smith
Production of veal is one method of merchandising dairy bull calves, especially calves of the larger breeds. The largest calves are best for vealers because they gain faster. If possible, select calves that weigh 90 lb or more at birth. Select only healthy, vigorous calves that have been given colostrum at birth. When buying calves, be sure there is no evidence of disease, defects, or injuries. Calves that are deemed unsatisfactory should be rejected by the buyer. Veal farmers should acquaint themselves thoroughly with the following aspects of the veal industry prior to the arrival of calves at the veal barn:
The production of top grade veal, veal that reaches a liveweight of 375 to 475 lb in 17 to 19 weeks, depends on: (1) selecting healthy calves weighing 90 to 120 lb at birth and (2) proper feeding of a high quality milk replacer.
It is very important for the calf to receive two quarts of high-quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth and at least two quarts two additional times during the first 18 hours after birth. Immediately after birth, the navel should be dipped in a 7% tincture of iodine to prevent infection of the navel (navel ill).
Select a milk replacer that has been formulated for veal. Most manufacturers of milk replacers for veal have at least three different feed formulations: (1) a starter, (2) a grower, and (3) a finisher feed. The starter feed is usually 21 to 22% protein and 16 to 18% fat, whereas the finisher feed is 14 to 16% protein and 18% fat. Follow the recommendations of the feed manufacturer for the feeding schedule. The temperature of the water for mixing the replacer must be very high (170 to 180°F) in order to break down the fats. After the feed is completely mixed, cold water can be added. The milk should always be fed at the same temperature (100 to 104°F). After each feeding, all equipment should be washed thoroughly, rinsed, sanitized, and stored in a clean dry place.
The feed conversions obtained using veal milk replacers range from about 1.5 to 2.0 lb of dry powder per pound of gain. Veal calves should be finished out to 375 to 475 lb for most markets. Calves will gain about 2.5 lb or better a day using a high quality milk replacer.
Calves that have gained 2.5 lb a day and weigh 375 to 475 lb are well-muscled and have a good finish.
Do not feed veal calves dry feed such as hay or grain. These feeds result in less desirable finish and darker colored meat than meat from calves on a full-fed liquid diet. Veal calves should not be bedded with straw or corncobs. Slatted wood stalls measuring 24 to 30 inches by 66 to 72 inches are the preferred method of housing.
Veal buyers (packers) demand a calf that has a well-muscled carcass with light pink flesh. Producers are docked if the carcass is lightweight (under 200 lb), damaged, or is dark in color.
In most areas of the United States, veal calves must be housed in enclosed buildings to provide for the calf's comfort throughout the year. Enclosed housing allows for the maintenance of proper ventilation, humidity, and temperature regardless of the season.
In most geographical areas, buildings that are designed for the rearing of veal calves should be suitably insulated to protect calves against extreme changes in temperature. The veal barn should be constructed to prevent the entrance of rodents, birds, pets, and other animals. These animals can be potential disease carriers for veal calves. Such preventative measures that reduce the calves' exposure to carriers of disease are termed biosecurity.
Interior exposed walls should be constructed of materials that are easily cleaned and sanitized and that will stand up under repeated washings. One of the best ways to assure healthy calves is to completely clean and sanitize the veal rooms between groups of calves, including air ducts, ceilings, stall components, and walls.
Operators of all animal facilities must be concerned about handling, storage, disposal, and recycling of animal wastes and maintaining a suitable environment. Environmental quality includes minimizing the possibility of waste runoff into streams, leaching of waste elements into groundwater supplies, and odors. The latter may not represent a health problem for persons residing near animal operations, but odors are a nuisance and can cause serious conflicts with neighbors. All manure systems should have suitable guards, covers, fences, and signs to keep people from inadvertently entering the storage area.
State, county, and township laws and regulations should be consulted prior to building or enlarging an animal operation.
Adequate ventilation and humidity control are very important in a veal calf rearing barn. The ventilation system should be designed by and installed under the supervision of a ventilation specialist who can document successful experience with veal calf barns. The ventilation system should be designed to operate properly when the barn is stocked with young 100-lb calves and also when the barn is stocked with market-class calves (400 to 500 lb) during any season of the year. The heat generated by market-ready calves is an asset during the winter since heating costs are reduced. However, this same heat (and humidity) released by heavy calves during the summer dictates that the ventilation system be well designed and work properly. Research has shown that an effective ventilation system can improve animal comfort and reduce mortality, morbidity, and sickness while increasing weight gain, efficiency, and profit.
One of the basic requirements of a successful veal system is preventive health management. Prevention involves:
A valid VCPR establishes the basis of a sound health program for a veal calf production unit. Personnel conducting the health program on a daily basis must be adequately trained to maintain individual calf health records. Attention must be given to the method of administration, dosage rate, duration of treatment, compatibility of medications, and the withdrawal times of the medications prior to marketing.
Biosecurity simply means applying every possible effort to reduce the transmission of disease into the veal barn or between groups of calves housed in separate rooms or pens. Naturally, the most important disease carrier entering the barn is the calf; but in addition, any other animal or any person represents a possible disease carrier. It has been shown that small animals, including cats and vermin, can carry various types of salmonella and other potential dangers to calf health. Some steps in maintaining biosecurity are:
Milk or milk replacer feeding may tend to cause anemia in calves, a condition in which the calf has an iron deficiency. Blood test at least 10% of the calves several times during the growing period to check the hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin level is an indicator of an iron deficiency and is important for meat color. Many producers blood test all calves at nine weeks of age and give iron shots to those that are low in hemoglobin. The amount of iron administered will vary by the hemoglobin count. If an intramuscular injection is to be given, follow injection guidelines set forth by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and give it in the neck muscles. Following these quality assurance guidelines reduces damage caused by injection to meat cuts of high value.
In controlling the amount of iron in the diet, it is highly recommended that the iron levels in the drinking water be tested. Some water is high in iron and will provide too much iron to the calf. This may cause the meat to be reddish rather than pink in color, thereby making it less desirable as veal. Using an iron filter to control the iron in the water may be a necessary installation in some cases.
Individual calves may be tested just prior to marketing to ensure that any animal health products used have cleared the animal's system, thereby reducing the incidence of antibiotic residues being present in the meat product. A variety of pre-market antibiotic residue testing kits are available to veal producers. These pre-market tests use urine samples obtained from individual calves to determine the presence of antibiotic residues. Many of these tests require the use of incubators, skilled and sterile laboratory techniques, and experience in interpretation to obtain accurate results. Such tests can be used on any suspect calf that may not have performed acceptably or in a case where the buyer (packer, purveyor, or retailer) may require proof that antibiotic residues are absent in the carcass. Producers may also routinely sample a randomly selected group (usually 5% or more) of calves just prior to marketing to ensure that the product that they sell is wholesome and free of antibiotic residues.
Veal calves that are housed in individual stalls should be kept on suitable hardwood slotted or diamond-shaped plastic-coated expanded metal flooring. The wooden slats should run across the width of the stall and not the length of the stall for comfort of the animal when it is getting up or lying down. The slotted floor should have 1- to 1-1/4-inch spaces between slats. The width of the slats should be 2 to 3 inches. These wooden floors, preferably oak, provide a safe and durable surface on which the calf may stand and lie down. An alternative to wood slats is plastic-coated expanded metal flooring. There are several types of this flooring available. The flooring types have different grid arrangements, which affect the ease of calf movement, and there may possibly be differences in longevity of the flooring. This type of flooring has been generally successful, although initially more expensive than wood flooring. Regardless of the type of flooring, it must not cause injuries or deformities to develop. Veal farmers should closely observe and record any injuries that may be caused by flooring or other components of housing. Flooring, like all other components of the veal barn, must be kept in good repair.
There is still much research being done in this area with no definitive answers at the present time. Some recommendations are listed below.
The size of group pens should be determined by the market weight of the calves, but a minimum of 15 square feet of floor space per calf is recommended. The floors can be solid, slotted, or a combination of solid and slotted. The calves should have sufficient area to lie down and rest away from the feeding and traffic areas. Bedding should be provided on the solid floor area. Usually no more than 20 to 30 calves should be placed in a single pen. Penning calves into smaller subgroups may reduce aggression and negative social adjustment. Movable barriers should be available to provide for subgrouping. A hinged side-gate and head-gate should be located in each pen to restrain individual calves for monitoring or treatment.
Although some normal behaviors are better satisfied in group pens than in individual stalls, physical injury and certain abnormal and/or detrimental behaviors, such as cross-sucking, preputial suckling, urine drinking, mounting, and competition for feed, may increase. Tethering at feeding time through 30 minutes post-feeding for the first 6 to 8 weeks helps to eliminate many of these problems.
A plan should be developed to ensure the welfare of the animals when unforeseen emergencies occur. An interruption of the power supply, loss of water supply, gas accumulations, fire, and unexpected absence of staff are examples of such emergencies. Alarm systems that indicate a marked decrease or increase of room temperature or loss of power should be installed. A generator to provide sufficient power to maintain the essential functions of the veal barn should be installed or readily available. Alternative power sources should be serviced periodically and tested to make certain that the system is capable of providing sufficient power.
A copy of the Veal Quality Assurance manual may be obtained from the American Veal Association (AVA), 1500 Fulling Mill Road, Middletown, PA 17057.
Other handouts available from AVA include:
1. Dairy Calf Management Isn't Just for the Heifers, Series
Part I: Veal growers pay premiums for your strong, healthy bull calves
Part II: Early care determines what you get for your bull calves
Part III: Preventive management is the best medicine...
Part IV: Quest for healthier calves begins with the dry cows
Part V: Minimize stress and prevent injury in the handling, transporting and marketing of dairy bull calves
2. Hoard's Dairyman reprint-"You Can Get More for Your Calves"
3. Common $ense Calf Care Is As Easy As 1-2-3
4. Booklet-Calf Care Protocol for the Dairy Producer
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-6181