Calf and heifer nutrition

By Milk Products LLC calf nutrition team The energy calves need is most readily available to them by the fat in their diets. The best milk replacers start with high-quality, (human) edible-grade fat sources, which are the gold standard for animal milk replacers. Research supports the use of these high-quality fats to maintain the best

By Dave Wood, director of technical services and sales, Animix, LLC Whole milk fails to meet basic vitamin and trace mineral requirements of the young milk-fed calf. Vitamin and trace mineral levels as reported by the USDA  and calf requirements as reported in the 2001 NRC for dairy cattle show that a gallon of whole

By Dr. Laurie Winkelman, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist and technical services specialist It is no secret that feed costs are, by far, the largest expense on a dairy farm. In a relatively normal population of animals on a farm, about half the animals (the milking cows) are able to pay their own way, while heifers

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator Q:  We pasteurize our waste milk from treated and high-somatic-cell-count cows.  I was wondering if milk replacer has a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals compared to pasteurized milk.  If feeding pasteurized milk, do we need to fortify the milk with added vitamins and minerals for the

With Floyd Sutton, Zinpro Imagine you have a three-year-old daughter.  Up to this point, you’ve done your absolute best to provide her with a healthy diet.  You make sure she eats a balance of dairy foods, meats, fruits, vegetables and nutritious grains. Now, you’re going to switch her to a diet of donuts and candy

By Dr. Steve Hayes, Day 1 Technology Q:  How does my waste milk compare to the bulk tank milk I sell when it comes to feeding calves? A:  This is a great question since so many calf raisers are using some or all waste milk to feed their calves today. One may think that waste

By Kate McAndrews, Vita Plus dairy specialist Hello from Minnesota!  Fall is a very busy time of year as the harvest comes in, fieldwork (hopefully) moves along and winter plans are set.  As we all find plenty of tasks to complete on our to-do lists, producers are still taking the time to check their current

Keeping feed in front of heifers is obviously a must to keep them growing.  Simply taking a broom and pushing up feed three to five times a day keeps feed in front of them and keeps them eating.  Visit our YouTube channel for more Calf Care Quick Tips.

By Augusta Hagen, Vita Plus dairy nutrition and management fellow We’ve had a moderately cool summer, but we all know that has abruptly changed this last week. Hot days and humidity make for lots of uncomfortable, low-producing cows. To cope in our dairy barns, we have implemented innovative cooling systems to keep our cows comfortable,

By Augusta Hagen, Vita Plus dairy nutrition and management fellow A top goal for dairy farmers and nutritionists is to raise healthy calves that will transition into long-term members of the milking herd. Although the goal is simple, many factors play a role in raising a healthy replacement, including the nutrition program. A majority of

With Dr. Noah Litherland, University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science dairy cattle nutritionist Research has repeatedly shown that quality calf starter plays a big role in calf performance.  Understanding the biology behind this strategy can help make the most of your feeding program. Dr. Noah Litherland is a dairy cattle nutritionist with the University

By Dr. Jeff Acker, Veterinary Services of Wisconsin, LLC Q: As we switch from winter to summer protocols, what should be our top priorities for getting calves ready for a new season? A:  Spring is the season of the most dramatic climate changes of the year.  This past winter was rather long, but also stable

By Doug Olsen, Vita Plus dairy territory manager Here in central Wisconsin, I’m seeing a lot of dairies investing in new calf facilities.  Many in the area are building barns with individual pens and some are transitioning to automatic calf feeding systems with group pens.  It seems most of these autofeeder systems are going on

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator This winter has thrown us many challenges: a lot of snow, rain, huge temperature swings, cold stretches, and on and on. It is easy to think with the recent warmer temperatures we are getting close to the end. Even so, I challenge you to stay the course

By Ann Hoskins, calf products coordinator As we talked about in Calf Chat, it’s time to get out your winter gear and re-establish your winter protocols. Although we’re a few weeks away from implementing all of the winter protocols, temperatures are dropping fast and it’s better to be ready than scramble at the last minute.

Download a printable PDF Presentation J Hall has been raising calves for the past 15 years. He started his business with a few hutches and has grown to raising 5,000 calves under five months and 1,800 heifers five-months to springers. This year, he is planning to continue the expansion of his operation to accommodate the