Calf and heifer nutrition

By Dr. Owen Mickley, Vita Plus dairy specialist What will winter have in store for us this year?  With last year’s brutally cold winter still fresh in our minds, are we prepared to deal with the winter challenges we’ll face this year? Let's go back to the basics as these fundamentals are key to our

By Dr. Max Thornsberry, Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition The goal in mixing calf milk replacer is to consistently feed the same concentration of properly mixed milk replacer each feeding.  It is also necessary to feed calves their milk replacer meals at consistent intervals; in other words, the same time each day, hopefully at least

By Emma Waterworth, Vita Plus Fall River grain marketing intern You know quality calf feed is vital to the health and development of a growing calf, but what makes a quality feed? A good pelleted calf starter or grower consists of clean grains and a good, hard pellet.  Several factors to consider while assessing grain

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist Question:  I've heard arguments on both sides.  Which is better?  Texturized or pelleted starter feeds? A:  Since the early 1930s, researchers have evaluated the impact of calf starter grain formulation and physical form (texturized versus pelleted) on dry matter intake and calf growth.  There is

Click to download the PowerPoint presentation Article written by Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman When it comes to caring for calves, the options are endless for ingredients and additives that promise to promote health or increase gains, which is why David Wood, Animix, tells dairy producers to choose wisely. When evaluating calf supplements, Wood suggests keeping

Click to download the PowerPoint presentation Article written by Macy Sarbacker Precision nutrition is the idea that you treat the calf as an individual, according to Vita Plus Dairy Youngstock Technical Specialist Noah Litherland. If calves are not growing or are losing bodyweight, then the start of first lactation is delayed and potentially compromised. This

Click to download the PowerPoint presentation Article written by Macy Sarbacker You’ve got a wobbly-legged, newborn heifer calf. She’s still wet and you’re drying her off. What do you know about the kind of cow she’s going to be? Are all calves born with the potential to become great dairy cows? What is the balance

We have learned many things along the way as autofeeders become more popular in the calf raising world.  On the dairy, we tend to learn most things through experience – good or bad.  While that makes it difficult to pinpoint exact “rights and wrongs,” learning from others’ experiences can help us focus on making the

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist Protein is the single most important and expensive ingredient in milk replacers contributing to calf growth.  That doesn’t mean this macronutrient is easy to understand.  Exploring the sources and functions of protein can help you better select which milk replacer is right for your calf

By Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist Most of us have heard the old cliché "milk doesn’t come from the store" and the cliché is common fabric among us whom are passionate about the dairy industry.  In short, it simply means we want to tell our story. The same can be said for dairy

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