Posted on November 9th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Dr. Neil Michael comes to Starting Strong with nearly 30 years of experience as a veterinarian specializing in dairy. He currently works as the director of dairy initiatives for Vita Plus.
Q: How do I know that my calves are getting enough energy during cold weather conditions to maintain and gain body weight?
A: One of the best methods to ensure your young calves are maintaining a positive energy status during temperatures below 59 degrees...
Posted on November 9th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
We know that feeding starter early in the calf’s life helps develop the rumen and boost performance. But a lot more goes into a good starter than oats, corn, molasses, fat and a pellet. During his presentation at the 2011 Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference , Dr. Mark Hill with Provimi North America shared his insight into what makes an optimal starter.
According to Hill, 20 published trials show an increase in average daily gain (ADG) as starter consumption increases. That means that good...
Posted on November 8th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator
Cold weather is approaching. In order to maximize performance and health, you need to provide the key ingredients, including enough calories, high quality starter and water. Are you prepared to offer water this winter? Even in cold temperatures, providing free choice water is essential for a successful calf program.
Water is necessary for the following functions:
Maintaining body fluids and proper ion balance Digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing...
Posted on November 8th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Calf raisers invest a lot of time and energy into optimizing calf performance. Good feed management with young heifers can help to keep that momentum going as calves get older.
Cody Yanzick, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist, has spent a lot of time helping producers develop their grower programs to meet heifers’ needs. He provides several tips for introducing, feeding and monitoring heifer TMRs.
Choose the right size mixer. Most calf raisers mix small batches of heifer TMR. Choose the right mixer size to...
Posted on November 5th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Many variables affect a calf’s health and performance. However, calf expert Dr. Sheila McGuirk, DVM, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, said three main categories can really guide how calf raisers provide top notch care to their calves.
During her presentation at the Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference, McGuirk told producers to think of a calf like a three-legged stool, with its health balanced on colostrum, environment and nutrition. The stronger each of these areas is, the better off a calf will be....
Posted on November 4th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
What’s become conventional calf feeding isn’t necessarily what’s closest to “natural” calf growth programs. That’s according to Dr. Jim Drackley of the University of Illinois during his presentation at Vita Plus Dairy Summit 2010.
Calf feeding programs that are most successful nutritionally mimic cow’s milk. Drackley introduced the idea of “biologically appropriate nutrition” to Summit attendees. Biologically appropriate feeding programs deliver milk solids in a ratio nearer to cow’s milk (about 26 percent protein and 29 percent fat on a dry solids basis). The...
Posted on November 4th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Q: What is the best way to get extra energy into my calves in cold weather?
Environmental factors can have major effects on the energy requirement of young calves. Newborn calves are particularly vulnerable to temperature changes. The newborn calf has a thermoneutral zone that falls between 55 and 77 degrees F. This means calves don’t need to use extra energy to maintain body temperature. However, as the weather turns colder, the calf needs more calories to provide additional energy for...
Posted on November 4th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Environmental factors can have major effects on the energy requirement of young calves. Newborn calves are particularly vulnerable to temperature changes. The newborn calf has a thermoneutral zone that falls between 55˚F and 77˚F. Within this range of temperatures the animal is not required to dissipate or conserve heat to maintain body temperature. Therefore, when the ambient temperature drops below 55˚F newborn calves need to expend extra energy to maintain body temperature. If these increased energy requirements are not met, calves will lose body weight...
Posted on November 4th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator
Winter can be very stressful for calves and this winter is no exception. Many steps can be taken to help prevent your calves from being adversely affected by the cold weather-related stress. Producers should provide additional calories to maintain growth, performance and health, as well as a dry, deep-bedded area to help maintain body temperature. These tips will help to ensure well-grown and healthy calves.
Posted on November 4th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Effects on Calf Performance Introduction
The use of pasteurized waste (i.e., nonsalable) milk as a liquid feed for calves has increased in recent years (NAHMS 2002; NAHMS 2007) due to greater availability of on-farm pasteurizers. Properly pasteurized waste milk can be a high-quality source of nutrients for young calves and is often times thought of as supporting superior calf health and performance compared with conventional milk replacer programs. This view is accurate when considered in the context of nutrient concentration; pasteurized waste...
Posted on November 4th, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
At zero degrees, a 90-pound calf eating one pound of powder or solids daily (equal to one gallon of 12.5 percent solution) can “burn up” its entire body fat reserve (about 3 to 4 percent of body weight) within 18 hours. Bring on the groceries!
Calves’ energy intake is the sum of the starter and milk/milk replacer consumed. So you might ask, “can’t the calves just eat more starter to compensate?” Yes, they can, if they're ruminating and if they’re eating one to two...
Posted on November 3rd, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
From Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator
When winter tosses us a new challenge everyday, it can become difficult just taking care of the basic needs. However, spring can bring its own set of challenges to calf raisers. The warm days, cool nights and lots of moisture in the air can prove to be a challenge for even the healthiest calf. As we gear up for spring, it is time to go back to the basics.
Posted on November 2nd, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
From Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator
To maximize calf performance and health, you need to provide the key ingredients for summer living. Offering free choice water is essential to a successful calf program.
The amount of water lost from the calf’s body is influenced by air temperature, humidity, respiratory rate, housing conditions and activity of the animal. Water is necessary for:
Maintaining body fluids and proper ion balanceDigesting, absorbing and metabolizing nutrients Eliminating waste material and excess heat...
Posted on November 2nd, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
What’s the weakest part of your calf program? Chances are it’s the transition pen, where calves usually first experience group housing.
After weaning, calves are usually housed individually for another few days or weeks. Then a calf goes to the transition pen when it is 8- to 12-weeks-old. Sometimes, calf raisers feel the initial phase of the job is now complete and it’s time to get back to feeding calves. But for calves, life in the transition pen is not always as smooth as...
Posted on November 2nd, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
The last edition of Starting Strong included the first three of the six categories defined in the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association ’s (DCHA) Gold Standards.
Dr. Gary Neubauer, a veterinarian with Pfizer Animal Health , said the Gold Standards give producers benchmarks to gauge their calf management programs and focus on the areas that could be most improved.
Following are the last three categories of the DCHA Gold Standards. Refer to the August edition of Starting Strong for details on mortality,...
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