Materials Needed
1. One or more nurse cows.  If nurse cows are dairy cows, they should be projected to peak at a minimum of 70 lbs. milk production per day during the calf nursing period.  The nurse cow can be at any stage of lactation but must be able to support the nutritional needs of the calf or calves throughout their entire lives.

2. One to four calves less than 2 weeks old per nurse cow.  Depending on stage of lactation and milk production, dairy type nurse cows can support between 1 and 4 calves at a time.  If nurse cows are beef animals they usually can support just one calf at a time.

3. Fenced well-drained pasture, predator proof, with water source.

4. Creep feeder for calves.

5. Crimped oats, approximately 100 lbs. per calf.

6. Feed bunk for cow.

7. Three sided shelter.

8. Balanced dairy ration (TMR) or high quality pasture.

Procedure
Fence off a well-drained pasture, approximately 1 acre per nurse cow.  Large pastures are not necessary unless you are grazing intensively or depending on pasture for the sole source of nurse cow nutrition.  Although the minimum unit is 1 cow and 1 calf, any multiple of this unit may be used and grazing groups of cows/calves are strongly encouraged.  CALVES MAY NOT BE TETHERED OR CONFINED IN CRATES.

Provide water source, available to both cow and calves.

Feed calves whole oats in creep feeder, approximately 1 lb./head/day.  FEED MAY NOT CONTAIN ANY ANIMAL BYPRODUCTS.   If nurse cows are beef animals on pasture nursing only one calf, creep feeding is not necessary.

For dairy breeds where cows are nursing multiple calves and maximum milk production is required, feed a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) to cow(s), formulated at the same rate as that fed to high producing cows in the dairy herd.  Do not allow calves access to TMR.  Alternatively, you may graze intensively for maximum milk production, using the appropriate number of calves for the cow’s production level.  If you producing Azuluna veal under a beef type system (cows raise their own calves without grafting), make sure you have enough land and high quality grass that can meet the full nutritional needs of the cows for maximal milk production.

Provide free choice hay to calves if pasture is not adequate.

Provide shelter and bedding for calves and cow(s) as well as daily access to outdoors.  For example, a simple open shelter such as three sided run-in shed that allows the animals to choose whether they want to go outside works quite well. 

Make sure all calves receive adequate colostrum from their natural mothers.  Bottle feed the calf exclusively until grafted onto the nurse cow.  Feed only colostrum or whole milk until the calf is fully grafted onto the nurse cow.  In general, the younger the calf, the easier the process and we recommend  that calves be grafted as soon as possible after birth.  Tips on successful grafting of calves onto nurse cows can be found in our slide show, available on request. 

Calves must remain suckling the nurse cow until they are weaned on the day they are shipped to slaughter. 

DO NOT FEED MILK REPLACER; DO NOT BUCKET FEED; DO NOT FEED COMMERCIAL CALF GRAIN. 

DO NOT ADMINISTER ANY HORMONES TO CALVES OR NURSE COWS.

IF CALVES BECOME ILL, TREAT AS APPROPRIATE, BUT CALVES WHICH HAVE RECEIVED TREATMENT WITH ANTIBIOTICS AT ANY TIME IN THEIR LIVES MUST BE SEGREGATED AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED INTO THIS PROGRAM.