Posted on March 18, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Courtney Halbach, The Dairyland Initiative associate outreach specialist
Air quality is important to ensure calf health. With spring being a tricky time to manage ventilation in calf and heifer barns, use these recommendations to make sure your ventilation systems are ready for the seasons ahead.
Posted on March 18, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Keeping a well-stocked maternity pen with these 7 must-have items can help give calves a successful start to life.
Posted on January 17, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins walks transition heifers with Shawn Miller, Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy calf manager, and shares the steps his team takes when transition calves get sick.
Posted on January 17, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Energy balance is the net effect of energy intake and energy use. Weight gain and loss are direct reflections of a shift in energy balance.
Posted on January 17, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist
Your relationship with your veterinarian is very important when it comes to creating a successful calf-rearing program. To improve efficiency and make sure you both are on the same page, you should ask your vet these questions.
Posted on January 17, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By the Vita Plus Calf Team
A new year is the perfect time to review calf care protocols and set goals for what you can do better in the year ahead. Here are 11 calf care resolutions you should keep this year to help raise healthy calves.
Posted on October 24, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
These 10 must-have items can help you give your calves the best start possible in the maternity pen.
Posted on October 24, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist
Sudden death in a healthy calf can be due to any number of causes, however, Clostridium perfringens rises to the top of the list, especially when abomasal bloat is involved.
Posted on August 24, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock specialist
Environment can have a significant impact on an animal's performance, including effects on gestation length and subsequent calf performance.
Posted on August 24, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Peter Strassburg, Lodi Veterinary Clinic
Calf diarrhea is a common and very frustrating problem when raising calves. Identifying scours early can help you decide on a treatment plan and increase your odds of treatment success.
Posted on June 28, 2018 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman
A healthy gut in baby calves is important to give them the best start to life possible. Rowntree explained why a healthy gut is important and shared what you can do to help develop it.
Posted on June 28, 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 28, 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 28, 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 28, 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.