How to give vitamins for the growth and development of calves?
Like any other animal, young calves, in addition to regular and balanced nutrition, need vitamins for rapid growth and strengthening. The article will consider the most necessary useful elements for cattle.
Important! In addition to walking and feeding concentrated feeds, animals need additional nutritional supplements that positively affect their health.
Signs of calf vitamin deficiency
If young growth suffers from vitamin deficiency, then this is manifested by the following symptoms:
- vitamin A deficiency - vision deteriorates, the cornea of the eyes becomes inflamed or dries up, the animal is poorly oriented in space, the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed;
- D-deficiency - the growth of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted, the calves quickly get tired, rest more often, lose weight, gait becomes unstable, limbs are deformed, wool falls out in shreds;
- C-deficiency - the skin and mucous membranes whiten, hemorrhages are observed on the gums;
- E-deficiency - appetite decreases, lethargy, fatigue occur, rapid breathing and palpitations;
- B-deficiency - growth is stunted, paralysis occurs, coat thins, skin ulcers appear.
What vitamins do calves need for rapid growth and development?
To grow quickly and develop well, calves need to be given the following useful elements:
- Vitamin A - promotes weight gain and intensive growth, improves immunity;
- D - provides normal bone development, improves metabolism, protects against rickets;
- B - normalizes the work of the stomach and intestines;
- E - supports the work of the heart, helps to develop muscle mass, muscles, protects the liver;
- calcium - strengthens bones;
- phosphorus - normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.
Did you know? Bulls do not distinguish between colors, including red, so during a bullfight, the bull rushes to the red cloak of the matador not because of its color, but because it irritates the movement.
At what age can vitamins be given
The first servings of the necessary beneficial elements of calves are obtained from birth from cow's milk. But if calving occurs in the autumn-winter period, when the amount of necessary substances is very small, it is recommended to add a few drops of multivitamins for newborns to milk.
Daily intake rate
For calves, the minimum daily dose is as follows:
- Vitamin A is needed in a dose of 30000-40000 IU;
- D - from 3000 to 4000 IU per day;
- E - 30-40 IU per day;
- B1 - 30 mg per 1 head per day.
Important! All vitamin preparations must be given to animals, strictly adhering to the instructions and recommendations of the veterinarian.
How to give calves
In order to prevent the occurrence of serious diseases due to vitamin deficiency, vitamin complexes in the form of powders should be added to the animals in the prepared food. In case of complications, it is necessary to administer the preparations intramuscularly or subcutaneously in the form of injection solutions.
In powders
The best powder preparations that have a large amount of vitamins and minerals are:
- "Calf Gingerbread" - contains vitamins A, D3, E, as well as manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, selenium, iodine, iron, magnesium. The dosage is that 1 packet of the drug is mixed with wheat flour in a ratio of 1: 1 and the prepared mixture is added to the feed: for monthly calves, 5 g per 1 head, for 2-month-old - 8 g, for 3-month-old - 12 g, at 4 months - 15 g each, at 5 months - 18 g each, at 6 months - 20 g each.
- “Biomix for calves Standard” - includes vitamins A, D3, E, B1, B2, B4, B6, B12, as well as iron, zinc, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium. Add the drug to the young food, starting from the 15th day from birth. The daily dose is 50 g per 1 head.
- “Solvimin Selenium” - contains vitamins A, D3, C, K, B1, B2, B6, B12, nicotinamide, calcium pantothenate, selenium. It is used for young animals in the first week of life, 2–4 g per 20 liters of water (daily rate).
Did you know? In 1 minute, the cow makes about 100 chewing movements, and what she eats directly affects the taste of her milk.
In injections
Since injections cause stress in animals, experts recommend introducing nutrients to young animals, starting at the age of 6 months, as well as for calves to grow faster. The most common of them have such names and methods of application:
- “Trivit” (A, D3, E). For prevention, you need to inject the drug intramuscularly or subcutaneously in 1.5–2 ml once a week for a month.
- “Tetravite” (A, D3, E, F). For prophylaxis, 2-3 ml are administered per 1 animal per day once every 2 weeks, during treatment - once a week.
- "Eleovit" (A, D3, B1, B2, B6, K, folic and pantothenic acid, nicotinamide, cyanocobalamin, biotin). They inject a drug of 2-3 ml per 1 animal per day 1 time per month for prevention, for therapeutic purposes - 1 time in 7-14 days.
Direct sources of nutrients
In addition to artificial preparations, there are direct sources of nutrients. These include:
- milk - contains all the necessary substances useful for the calf;
- hay - if it has dried in the sun, then vitamin D is produced in it, and if in the shade, then carotene and B3;
- fresh grass (herbal food) - useful thanks to its vitamins B2 and B3, and alfalfa contains vitamin E;
- carrots - rich in carotene, due to which vitamin A is produced in the animal’s body;
- grain - contains many vitamins B1, B5.
You will be interested to learn about the rules and norms of feeding calves from the first days of life.
How to combine vitamins with feeding
Thanks to the correct and complete diet, calves will not have vitamin deficiency. The main task of farmers is to provide young animals with the necessary daily dose of vitamins and minerals, regardless of the form in which they are given. When preparing daily meals, it is necessary to take into account the age of the animals, their weight, in order to determine the necessary dose of drugs.
