Good health of the calves is the key to successful rearing. A good calf rearing system leads to good results.
Monitoring from the start
Calves receive colostrum at birth, which is essential for a quick and efficient start. The growth and future performance of calves depend on their first weeks of life. At the age of 2 weeks, the calves arrive at the collection center. They are weighed, classified and brought to veal farms. The data, for example, weight gain, on each calf are recorded and communicated to the dairy farmer to adapt the rearing for specific calves. The advantage for the farmer is that he receives very detailed data on his calves. In this way, the farmer also benefits from a transparent price for his calves and valuable advice for the rearing of calves.
Programcalf
This innovative system is called Programcalf. The purpose of this program is to foster stronger calves, with better vitality and health from the first days of life. The dairy chain faces challenges like carbon footprint, animal health, mortality of young animals, use of antibiotics, transport duration and import of calves. Denkavit has started Programcalf to improve these parameters. Co-products from dairy processing are valued by using it in the diets of veal calves. The program fits perfectly with the trends of sustainability, and circularity and with the expectations of the farmers.
Work together for healthy calves
Every day, a team of specialists works on Denkavit’s program. Their knowledge and experience with calves, markets and processes are essential to help farmers find innovative, effective solutions and adjust the care for the young animals based on recent information gathered by Programcalf. Denkavit works with calf traders who buy calves from dairy farmers. On the farms, the calves are raised for Denkavit. The Denkavit Programcalf is a system where dairy farmers, livestock traders, collection centers, and veal farmers are working together and sharing their knowledge. Besides advice from a specialist of Denkavit, knowledge is also shared through newsletters, practical and statistical research and excursions. The result is healthier and stronger calves. These calves do better. Therefore, mortality and antibiotic use are reduced.
To learn more about the Denkavit Programcalf, you can consult specific articles on our website.
