Starting Strong – Calf Care

By Dr. Jenn Rowntree, Military Ridge Veterinary Service
Calf rearing is one of the most time-consuming and important tasks on a dairy farm.  The performance of any pre-weaned calf program has a direct impact on a herd’s future and milk production.  Whether it's a 50-cow dairy or a 5,000-cow dairy, it is easy for attentive calf caretakers to become frustrated when calves get sick or die.  Working closely with your herd veterinarian is crucial when it comes to investigating causes of calf illness, whether it's due to scours, pneumonia or other diseases.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Automated calf feeding systems continue to increase in popularity throughout the upper Midwest despite little uniformity in facility design, feeding method, and performance across farms and no industry-wide accepted model to balance facility performance and cost. 

My opinion is that the technology in automated calf feeders is quite good, however, many farms still struggle to manage calves in groups.  We have identified 10 common factors limiting group feeding systems, and suggest some strategies to correct these shortcomings and monitor success. 

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Colostrum management is a detailed process and management protocols lead to great success.  Whether you adhere to these protocols determines whether this is a make-it-or-break-it event in a calf’s life.

For example, what do you do if you don’t have the high-quality colostrum your calves need?  You need a back-up plan, and colostrum replacers and supplements can be a useful tool to give calves the best start possible. 

By Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist
It’s easy to get lost in the details of ration formulation and calving protocols when preparing dairy heifers for their first lactation, but these are not the only important aspects of a successful heifer transition program. 

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...

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.

By Gary Sipiorski, Vita Plus dairy development manager
Transferring a dairy farm to the next generation can be complicated.  No one wants to make it difficult, but the process involves many details.  Written terms and agreements must be done properly. 

Help is out there to assist with a farm transfer of any type.  Each farm and family is different.  Three key people should be involved in the process, which will take a year or more to complete depending on the assets and complexity.

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Organic matter in milk will significantly compromise a pasteurizer's effectiveness.  If your pasteurizer does not have an inline filtering system, use a screen to filter the milk going into the pasteurizer tank.

The recent Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference provided attendees with new research and trends in the dairy industry.  In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator, shares a few of her highlights from the event.

Schilling Farms LLC Achieves Performance Goals with Calves Back Home

Developing and sticking to calf care protocols is the name of the game for Schilling Farms LLC in Darlington, Wisconsin. 

For 10 years, the farm sent all nursery calves to a custom grower before bringing them all back home within a two-week span in 2011.  The team established as many protocols as possible to “get it right from the start” and modified those protocols as they rebuilt the calf program.

In this segment of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Jonathon Hallock, MarBec Dairy, explains the decision-making process that led to the construction of the farm's four-row calf barn.

By Dr. Kevin Ratka, Vita Plus dairy specialist
Vaccination protocols are very important to maintain the health and productivity of each herd.  A considerable amount of time is spent discussing and analyzing which vaccines should be used and when is the optimal time to use each vaccine to achieve maximal immunity.  However, sometimes the basics of vaccine handling and storage get overlooked, leading to poor response to the vaccine and putting herds at risk for disease.  Here are some of the basic guidelines to ensure optimal results.

By Dr. Wayne Coblentz, USDA-ARS, and Dr. Matt Akins, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The goal of management programs for dairy replacement heifers is to consistently rear heifers at a low economic and environmental cost without compromising their future performance as lactating cows.

Generally, this can be accomplished with forage-based diets, but a key to success is understanding the role of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in regulating both the energy density as well as the voluntary intake of diets consumed by dairy heifers.

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Before you decide to turn that old dairy barn into a calf barn, you should do some research.  An old barn may provide more warmth and protection from the elements for calves and caretakers.  But consider calf flow, ventilation, sanitation, ease of feeding, and the overall health benefits and risks before you begin renovations.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Serum total protein analysis is a simple and repeatable way to evaluate passive transfer of immunoglobulins in dairy calves up to five days of age.  When colostrum is fed, the immunoglobulins are absorbed through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream, where they interact with tissues in the body to provide passive transfer of immunity from the dam to the calf. 

By Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist

Question:  How can I slope hutches to increase drainage?

Quick answer:  Creating a 2-percent slope by placing a small mound at the junction of the calf hutch and outside pen increases drainage away from the calf.

A bit more...