Virtual Farm Tour: Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, LLC

Posted on April 26, 2023 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Between 20 and 40 calves are born each day at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, LLC in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. With exceptional animal care as a top priority on the farm, the team continually looks for opportunities to learn, evolve, and adopt new strategies to minimize stress – both for the animals and the employees – during each calving.

VIDEO: Calf Chat with Ann – Current Calf Research

Posted on July 17, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins talks with Dr. Jennifer Van Os, University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor and extension specialist in animal welfare, and Kim Reuscher, a dairy science graduate student, about current research projects involving calf hutches and ventilation.  One quick and affordable option for improving hutch ventilation is to install Calf-Tel's calf hutch vent covers, as shown in the video.

Veterinarian’s Corner: Manage Calf Barn Ventilation During Temperature Swings – Courtney Halbach, The Dairyland Initiative

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.

Veterinarian’s Corner: Disbudding Pain Management – Dr. Barry Kleppe, Wauankee Veterinary Service

Posted on August 23, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Dr. Barry Kleppe, Waunakee Veterinary Service
Think of the old western movie cattle drives - the longhorns were left alone.  Removal of bovine horns has evolved over time. 

Fast Fact: What Is the Ideal Height for Calf Pails? – Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus

Posted on June 20, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

Question:  What is the ideal height for calf pails?

Quick answer:  Calf eating behavior indicates 24 to 27 inches is a good range for pail height.

A bit more...

Regional Calf Report: Central Wisconsin – Cassie Stillman, Vita Plus

Posted on June 20, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Cassie Stillman, Vita Plus Loyal dairy specialist
Summer has finally arrived in central Wisconsin, but we had to first go through some unpleasant weather in May.  Heavy rainfall and cool temperatures made it difficult on calves.  Discussions with our team and on-farm observations point to respiratory problems as one of producers’ main concerns.  In addition, keeping calves hydrated and stress-free with the recent warm weather has become a priority.  Adjusting from one season to another can be very stressful on youngstock if the transition period is not smooth.