Starting Strong – Calf Care

By Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman
When it comes to hoof health, most problems have started long before the animals enter the milking herd.  In Busman's experience, he sees many problems stem from sand-bedded heifer facilities. 

By Brittany Olson, contributing writer
Going from life as a monogastric animal to a ruminating animal is one of the most significant changes in a calf's life.  How she transitions sets the stage for her future growth and development.

By Brittany Olson, contributing writer
With many dairies feeling the effects of Salmonella and pressure from consumers to reduce antibiotic use, biosecurity is currently a hot topic in animal agriculture.  Rowntree explained what you can do to ensure the safety of your production.

By Brittany Olson, contributing writer
While cows crave routine in their daily lives, so do calves and heifers.  Hoskins spoke about the need to dial in on quality control for calf nutrition to help improve animal health and performance.

By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman
Minimizing heifer raising costs without sacrificing heifer quality can be a challenge for dairies.  Akins shared some heifer rearing opportunities he sees to improve current practices.

By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman
Calf autofeeders face many challenges, and overcoming these challenges is important for raising healthy calves.  Ziemerink shared how to properly manage autofeeders and avoid some common mistakes.

When we think about animal welfare, we try to understand what that means from a species-specific biological perspective.  Van Os spoke about what animal welfare means and discussed new animal welfare research and how you could apply that information to practices on your operation.

By Jenna Hurty-Person, Progressive Dairyman
Building a new calf barn and completely rethinking how to raise calves effectively and efficiently can be a daunting task.  Three Wisconsin dairywomen shared their experiences as they tackled this challenge on their farms. 

In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins discusses proper milk replacer mixing and what you can do to ensure everyone on your team mixes the same consistency.

The first Virtual Farm Tour hit inboxes in 2010 and featured City Slickers Farm, LLC.  While the commitment to excellent calf care remains the cornerstone of the farm, the scope of their operation has changed considerably.

With Sara Schilling, Schilling Farms LLC
Sara Schilling of Schilling Farms LLC walks us through her calving pen and the stringent calving procedures her team follows to give each calf the best start to life.

By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist
Small and undergrown heifers with loose stool and a rough, dry hair coat are clinical signs of coccidiosis.  Left untreated, this parasitic infection can limit your future herd's potential.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock specialist
Feed cost per pound of gain is an important metric to know how to calculate and manipulate to optimize the value of your nursery calf feeding program.  Luckily, it is easy to calculate, if you know the right numbers.

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Many calves show signs of sickness before it becomes clinical.  Here are 7 signs to look for when evaluating calf health.

In this edition of Calf Chat, Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist, explains how lactose acts as a natural laxative and how different feeding rates can impact calf manure consistency. 

Heidi Fischer and the team at Fischer-Clark Dairy Farm, Inc. in Hatley, Wisconsin had plans to build a new autofeeder calf barn, but they chose to modify the current barn to house four rows of individual pens instead.  They now focus on organization and communication to successfully grow healthy calves.