Even with everything we’ve learned about calf nutrition, building the best possible plan for an individual farm is still an arduous task that is dependent on many factors.
Recognizing the need for a streamlined process in determining what and how much to feed calves, researchers at the University of Vermont have developed the “CalfSim” tool.
In a summary of the tool in the Journal of Dairy Science, lead developer Dr. Joao Costa described CalfSim as “a free, user-friendly decision support tool designed to simulate and optimize feeding plans for dairy calves.”
Using input data that calf raisers can easily collect, CalfSim allows users to explore the “what ifs” of various program changes, and how those nutritional strategies can be predicted to affect both rearing costs and calf performance outcomes.
The tool is based on equations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) 2021 Nutritional Requirements of Dairy Cattle. Adaptations were made for predicting energy-allowable growth and solid feed intake under varying conditions.
The simple format of CalfSim is divided into 3 fundamental areas: (1) animal, management, environment and liquid diet inputs; (2) starter composition; and (3) scenarios for milk allowance plans. Scenarios are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. While the base program is developed using the international metric system, the English version also offers the option of delivering results using imperial (U.S. system) data.
The developers note that CalfSim cannot thoroughly incorporate every detail of a farm’s calf program. Variances in factors like disease incidence, housing, environmental stress, and genetics can affect the ultimate outcomes of any calf nutrition program. However, the differential between CalfSim predictions and actual outcomes can be a valuable investigative tool in determining which outside factors may have contributed to a shortfall in achieving CalfSim projections.
Data from 27 published and non-published studies guided the developers in building the CalfSim tool’s framework and evaluating its outcomes. Body weight gain predictions obtained with CalfSim were found to be accurate in comparison to published literature, highlighting the tool’s reliability and precision.
Costa said CalfSim is an easily accessible, web-based decision support tool that allows for virtual testing of different scenarios, management strategies, and nutritional plans. He added that it helps minimize risk and enhance decision-making before actually implementing a feeding program change.
The CalfSim tool is available free of charge on the Costa Lab page of the University of Vermont website.
