Autumn Calving: Key Tips for UK and Irish Dairy Farmers to Boost Calf Health and Performance

Autumn calving season is just around the corner, and for dairy farmers across the UK and Ireland, this is a critical time to ensure that calves get the best possible start in life. With the right protocols in place—from colostrum management to gut health and hygiene—you can set your calves up for long-term health, improved immunity, and optimal performance.

In this Tech in 10 blog, we break down the essentials of autumn calving in under 1800 words, including actionable advice, best practices, and insights into how Precision Microbes can support your calves through this key phase.

1. Colostrum: The Cornerstone of Calf Health

Colostrum is more than just the calf’s first feed—it’s the foundation of lifelong immunity.

It contains twice the fat and protein of regular milk, along with essential antibodies that help protect calves in their most vulnerable early days. The importance of colostrum can’t be overstated, and its quality can actually be influenced even before calving.

How to Influence Colostrum Quality:

• Pre-calving diet: Feeding cows a well-balanced diet 7–14 days before calving can significantly boost colostrum quality.
• Genetics and health status also play a role, but nutrition is one of the easiest levers to pull.
• Test for quality on-farm using a refractometer, aiming for Brix readings above 22%.

The 1-2-3 Rule of Colostrum:

1. First feed within 2 hours of birth.
2. Minimum 3 litres in that first feed.
3. Use colostrum with high IgG levels for the best passive transfer.

Tip for Vets and Farmers:

You can measure passive transfer by taking blood samples within the first 7 days to ensure calves received enough antibodies.

2. Hygiene: The Often Overlooked Factor

Because colostrum is high in fat, it leaves a residue in buckets, feeders, and stomach tubes that harmful bacteria love. Without meticulous cleaning, we risk introducing pathogens at the very point we’re trying to protect calves.

Best Practices for Hygiene:

• Use hot water and detergent to clean all feeding equipment after every use.
• Focus on navel hygiene, calving pens, and even bedding—a damp, dirty bed can undo all your hard work.

Think of hygiene as a system-wide approach, from calving through to weaning.

3. Feeding the Autumn-Born Calf: Getting it Right from Day One

There’s increasing awareness around metabolic programming—the concept that how you feed calves in the first 50 days can shape their immune function, organ development, and future productivity.

Feeding more milk (whether whole milk or replacer) early in life can result in:

• Better average daily gains (ADG).
• Increased mammary cell development in heifers, influencing future milk yield.
• Reduced illness rates thanks to improved immunity.

Whole Milk, Transition Milk, or Milk Replacer?

Each has pros and cons:

• Whole milk is excellent nutritionally but may carry pathogens if hygiene is poor.
• Transition milk bridges colostrum and whole milk and is underused on many farms.
• Milk replacer is consistent, but make sure it’s high-quality and properly mixed.

Regardless of your system, the golden rule is consistency—same time, same amount, same temperature.

4. Gut Health and Why It Matters

Over 70% of the calf’s immune system resides in the gut. That’s why gut health is critical—not just for digestion, but also for immune defence and overall calf performance.

Diarrhoea: More Than Just a Gut Issue

Calves that experience diarrhoea early in life are 10 times more likely to develop pneumonia later. The inflammation and imbalance caused by early gut issues affect the calf systemically.

This is where Precision Microbes plays a major role.

5. Supporting the Gut with Precision Microbes

Precision Microbes is a liquid probiotic and postbiotic solution designed to optimise gut function in calves from birth. It supports both digestive and immune health, helping your calves get the most out of every feed—especially critical in the autumn when weather stress and indoor environments create extra challenges.

Feeding Protocols:

• 30ml daily for the first 30 days is the standard protocol.

• Start as early as possible—in the first colostrum feed or soon after birth.

• It can be fed via group feeders, milk carts, or automated feeders with a liquid dispenser.

For Extra Support:

If you’re seeing signs of digestive upset, you can double down with 30ml in the evening feed for 3–4 days.

Precision Microbes offers a unique liquid probiotic and postbiotic solution specifically designed to stabilise gut flora and enhance digestive health in calves. The product acts rapidly, with postbiotic components working quickly to restore normal gut function. Its liquid formulation allows for easy administration, whether given orally or mixed with milk. It is also compatible with other treatments, making it safe to use alongside antibiotics and rehydration therapies. The dosing is flexible and can be tailored depending on the calf’s age and the severity of symptoms, making it a practical and effective tool for managing gut health during critical periods like weaning.

6. Automated Feeders and Transition Challenges

For farms using automated feeders, one challenge is that milk intake can drop during the first 48 hours as calves adapt. Precision Microbes has proven to:

• Help with palatability, encouraging better milk intake.
  
• Support transition periods with fewer digestive upsets.
• Improve group uniformity in performance.

7. Reducing Stress in the Autumn Calving System

Autumn brings added stress:

• Weather changes (cold, damp, and wind).

• Housing transitions.

• Management interventions like dehorning or castration.

Stress suppresses immunity, increasing the risk of disease. The right approach includes:

• Warm, dry bedding and good ventilation.

• Adequate space per calf to reduce crowding.

Ensuring all calves have access to clean water and fresh feed.

8. Pre-Weaning: The Weaning Curve Matters

Weaning should never be abrupt. Slow and steady is the way to go:

• Begin tapering milk over 2–3 weeks.

• Make sure calves are eating at least 1.5kg of concentrates per day before full weaning.

Maintain free access to clean water from day one.

9. Biological Optimisation: What Does It Mean?

It’s a term we use often at Precision Microbes. Put simply:

• When you optimise calf health and nutrition early in life, you produce bolder, stronger heifers.

• These animals have better milk production potential and improved longevity.

Every kilogram of dry matter in milk that supports a kilogram of growth in early life is the most efficient investment you’ll ever make in that animal.

10. Why Precision Microbes Works

Precision Microbes is a science-backed, farm-tested tool that supports:

• Better digestion.

• Stronger immunity.

• Higher average daily gains.

It’s not a silver bullet—but when used alongside strong colostrum protocols, good hygiene, and nutritional consistency, it makes a measurable difference.

And while no supplement can replace the basics, most farms don’t operate in a perfect world. Autumn calving presents unique challenges. Precision Microbes helps bridge that gap.

Final Thoughts: Autumn Calving is a System

Every part of the calving process is linked. From dry cow feeding to hygiene, early feeding, and the calf’s environment—nothing exists in isolation. Precision Microbes simply supports what you’re already doing well and gives you an extra layer of protection during the most vulnerable phase of a calf’s life.