Starting Strong – Calf Care

By Jeff Hoeger, Vita Plus dairy specialist
The temperature has frequently been in the 60s and 70s and harvest is in full swing here in eastern Iowa. However, winter and the very cold weather that comes with it are just around the corner.  Calf managers and dairy managers alike are starting to think about winter preparation for nursery calves.  Here are a few things that we need to prepare before the cold weather arrives.

By Courtney Halbach, associate outreach specialist, The Dairyland Initiative

Question:  What maintenance does my positive pressure tube ventilation system need to continue working efficiently?

Answer:  Positive pressure tube ventilation (PPTV) systems have significantly improved calf health and air quality in many calf barns by delivering fresh, outside air at the minimum ventilation rate of four air changes per hour without creating a draft. In order to perform as expected, PPTV systems need to be maintained properly.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist

Question:  How much water is needed to digest 1 pound of starter grain?

Quick answer:  It is estimated that 4 to 5 pounds of water are required to digest 1 pound of starter grain.

A bit more...

By Jim Lewis, Vita Plus dairy field service specialist
Transition is a popular word in the dairy industry.  It is actually a synonym for change.  Virtually everything on the planet resists change to some extent and cattle are no exception. 

The process of introducing transition or change to animals, in this case cattle, influences their performance to varying degrees.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Fresh air is something we sometimes take for granted out in the country.  We give considerable thought and effort to making sure our milk replacer program is right or our pasteurizer is working correctly, but perhaps we should think more about the quality of air in our calf and heifer facilities. 

By Chase Pagel, CP Safety Consulting LLC
We always talk about the need to care for our cows so they can produce the best milk possible. We can go a step further and put together a great employee training program to define and demonstrate safety expectations as we provide this care. This allows employees to better understand how we want them to safely treat and care for our animals. In turn, our employees will care for calves, heifers, and cows with greater knowledge and pride.

Waterers and the surrounding areas are great places for pathogens to thrive because they are almost always warm and moist. The team at Minglewood Inc. in Deer Park, Wisconsin has mastered the chore of cleaning calf pen waterers.  Although these waterers are in the farm’s autofeeder calf pens, the same steps can be applied to most heifer group pens.

Homestead Dairy, LLC Takes Calves to New Levels with Autofeeders
When you drive past Homestead Dairy, LLC in Plymouth, Indiana, you’ll see a row of hutches strung along a corn field about a half-mile from the main dairy.  No, these hutches do not house any calves. Instead, just across the road from the corn field, you will find three calf barns with autofeeders that can hold 200 calves each.  In the main office, you’ll find Brian Houin, the farm manager, doing everything in his power to never use those hutches again.

Fall is approaching, but the temperatures are still high.  In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf product coordinator, discusses the simple things you can do to manage your calves through summer heat stress.

In this edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Stacy Jauquet of Jauquet's Hillview Dairy LLC talks about the steps her team took to give calves the best possible care after a shed fire at their farm.

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.

By Terry Seubert, Vita Plus IT services development coordinator

Question:  What factors should I consider when picking out my next mobile phone?

Answer:  Picking a mobile phone can be nerve-racking, especially with so many different factors to consider.  Remember, good or bad, mobile phones have become part of our busy, everyday lives.  They provide a way to stay in touch with family, friends, and work, while also functioning as a camera, social networking device, music player, GPS system, and a constant connection to the Internet.  Here are a few things to consider when picking your new mobile phone.

Question:  How many air exchanges are needed for summer barn ventilation?

Quck answer:  40 to 60 exchanges per hour

A little more on that...

In this video, Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator, discusses many of the facility considerations needed to successfully feed transition calves. These animals may already be stressed due to weaning, pen moves and grouping. Make it easy for transition calves to find their feed and water and help adjust to their new environments quickly.  Click here to watch part 1 of this series, which addresses feeding considerations for preweaned calves.

By Jon Rasmussen, Vita Plus technology specialist
A simple way to improve your heifer growth efficiency, as well as minimize the costs of your heifer diets, is to evaluate your TMR mixer. This starts with physically inspecting the TMR mixer for proper weighing and mixing.

By Peter Coyne, Vita Plus sales manager and dairy field service specialist
Our high school football team had a very successful season last year and only lost one game.

Unfortunately, it was the biggest game of the year; the winner goes to state and the loser goes home. We lost by one point.

Eleven seniors were on that team and I suspect we will need to do some rebuilding this year. Fortunately, we have a great coach who understands kids as well as he understands football. As he and his assistant coaches work with our young, inexperienced team of kids from our community, they will do the same things I see the best dairy managers do on their productions on a daily basis.