Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Calves don't become productive members of the milking herd overnight. They need to be "grown from the inside out" with proper nutrition to develop their GI tract and digestive processes to ensure efficient growth.
Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman Four common misconceptions exist when we think about prefresh heifers. Hoffman addressed these misconceptions and challenged producers to dig deeper into these beliefs in order to better understand the unique needs of these animals.
Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman When it comes to hoof health, most problems have started long before the animals enter the milking herd. In Busman's experience, he sees many problems stem from sand-bedded heifer facilities.
Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Brittany Olson, contributing writer Going from life as a monogastric animal to a ruminating animal is one of the most significant changes in a calf's life. How she transitions sets the stage for her future growth and development.
Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Brittany Olson, contributing writer With many dairies feeling the effects of Salmonella and pressure from consumers to reduce antibiotic use, biosecurity is currently a hot topic in animal agriculture. Rowntree explained what you can do to ensure the safety of your production.
Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Brittany Olson, contributing writer While cows crave routine in their daily lives, so do calves and heifers. Hoskins spoke about the need to dial in on quality control for calf nutrition to help improve animal health and performance.
Posted on June 28th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman Minimizing heifer raising costs without sacrificing heifer quality can be a challenge for dairies. Akins shared some heifer rearing opportunities he sees to improve current practices.
Posted on June 27th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman Calf autofeeders face many challenges, and overcoming these challenges is important for raising healthy calves. Ziemerink shared how to properly manage autofeeders and avoid some common mistakes.
Posted on June 27th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
When we think about animal welfare, we try to understand what that means from a species-specific biological perspective. Van Os spoke about what animal welfare means and discussed new animal welfare research and how you could apply that information to practices on your operation.
Posted on June 27th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman Building a new calf barn and completely rethinking how to raise calves effectively and efficiently can be a daunting task. Three Wisconsin dairywomen shared their experiences as they tackled this challenge on their farms.
Posted on April 25th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins discusses proper milk replacer mixing and what you can do to ensure everyone on your team mixes the same consistency.
Posted on April 25th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
The first Virtual Farm Tour hit inboxes in 2010 and featured City Slickers Farm, LLC. While the commitment to excellent calf care remains the cornerstone of the farm, the scope of their operation has changed considerably.
Posted on April 25th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
With Sara Schilling, Schilling Farms LLC Sara Schilling of Schilling Farms LLC walks us through her calving pen and the stringent calving procedures her team follows to give each calf the best start to life.
Posted on April 25th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist Small and undergrown heifers with loose stool and a rough, dry hair coat are clinical signs of coccidiosis. Left untreated, this parasitic infection can limit your future herd's potential.
Posted on April 25th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock specialist Feed cost per pound of gain is an important metric to know how to calculate and manipulate to optimize the value of your nursery calf feeding program. Luckily, it is easy to calculate, if you know the right numbers.
Posted on April 25th, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator Many calves show signs of sickness before it becomes clinical. Here are 7 signs to look for when evaluating calf health.