Virtual Farm Tour: Beef-on-dairy is one component of whole-farm success at Four Cubs Farm LLC

Posted on October 27, 2023 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
The Peterson family has farmed in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, since the land was homesteaded nearly 150 years ago.  The family and farm team are proud of the farm’s rich legacy and its role in the community, and they’re focused on innovation to support the farm’s future.

Veterinarian’s corner: Dairy beef respiratory vaccine strategies

Posted on October 19, 2022 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Dr. Trey Gellert | One-day-old dairy beef calves need to be set up for long-term success. Starting these calves with the end goal in mind will lead to mutually beneficial relationship for the producer and calf. In this second article of a two-part series on vaccinations, we discuss dairy beef respiratory vaccine protocols.

Expert’s corner: Scour vaccine protocols for dairy beef calves

Posted on February 10, 2022 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Trey Gellert, Four Star Veterinary Service, LLC It is critically important to vaccinate dairy beef calves because these calves may be co-mingled or stressed, or have unknown colostrum intake, colostrum quality, or dairy farm disease pressure. These make the dairy beef calf unique and different compared to typical cow/calf and dairy youngstock.

Midwest beef market snapshot

Posted on October 6, 2021 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
It has been a tough year for many farmers in the Upper Midwest. We have seen areas of extreme drought (especially here in Minnesota), severe weather that has damaged crops and other crop health issues. As a result, our markets are still going through their ups and downs.

Beyond the Barn: Changing Bull Calf Markets – Chad Howlett, Vita Plus

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

By Chad Howlett, Vita Plus beef program manager
The Holstein steer feed and marketing world has experienced quite a bit of angst in the past couple months.  Basis on cash Holstein steers at the auction houses has widened to as much as -$45 per hundredweight (cwt) under colored cattle.  Typically, basis runs -$5 to -$7 under beef breed animals.  When you factor in the difference, you could be taking a hit of about $550 per head.

Regional Calf Report: Beef Calves in Indiana – PJ Neff and Chance Meteer, Vita Plus

Posted on August 26, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By PJ Neff, Vita Plus dairy specialist, and Chance Meteer, Vita Plus beef specialist
So far in 2016, the cattle market has seen an abundance of ups and downs. As expected, prices for both feeder cattle and finished cattle have been extremely volatile.  However, on the calf side, Holstein bull calf markets have continued to steadily decline over the last few months, which has prompted many calf raisers to fill up or remain at full capacity.

Dr. Richard Wallace, Zoetis – The Beef Side of Milk

Posted on July 2, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Article written by Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman Dairy producers are beef producers too, which is why it is important to ensure meat quality by preventing injection site lesions and drug residues. According to Dr. Richard Wallace, DVM, MS, with Zoetis, dairy producers can capture more value for their cull cows by focusing on Beef Quality

Regional Calf Report: Indiana – Bruce Owens

Posted on February 26, 2013 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Bruce Owens, Vita Plus district sales and marketing manager Like other parts of the Midwest, calf raisers here in Indiana and western Ohio are dealing with a challenging winter.  Temperature swings have been rough on calves this year just like they were last year.  Most of the calves I see are in hutches, so

Colostrum for One and All – Dr. Laurie Winkelman

Posted on December 26, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Laurie Winkelman, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist and technical services specialist Calves are born into this world without immunity or the ability to fight off pathogens and infections.  Unlike humans, the cow’s placenta does not allow antibodies to transfer from cow to calf.  High quality colostrum is the only way to prepare these newborns