Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Stacy Jauquet of Jauquet's Hillview Dairy LLC shows us her superhutches for weaned heifers and walks us through her nutrition program for these animals.
Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Lauryn Krentz, Vita Plus dairy specialist
It was an unseasonably warm fall with a fair amount of wet weather here in eastern Wisconsin. Many producers struggled in November because of varying temperatures and rain. Calves housed outside in hutches frequently had wet bedding and feed while those housed indoors experienced respiratory issues from the humidity and fluctuating temperatures. In calf and heifer barns with curtains, it was hard to know when to raise and lower the curtains to adjust for the rapidly changing weather. On top of this odd weather, farms without a dedicated calf team had limited time to focus on calves while they finished field work in the small windows of opportunity available to them.
Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Floyd Sutton, Zinpro Corporation account manager
One of the biggest challenges in heifers is controlling digital dermatitis (DD). This infectious skin disease is often seen in heifers starting around puberty. Heifers that develop DD in the growing period are often given a “life sentence” because of the nature of the disease and the difficulty to treat chronic lesions once they establish in the animal.
Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
The success of a nursery calf program can be measured by achieving optimal health and growth in the first half of the nursery phase, and developing a fully functional rumen in the second half. One of the many reasons these goals aren’t always achieved is insufficient starter grain intake.
Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
The legs of the Maria Stein Grain feed mill have been a landmark in Maria Stein, Ohio for many years. The business began as a grain elevator in 1896 and, like many mills, expanded to include feed manufacturing along the way. In 1975, a group of shareholders purchased the business and, one year later, Chuck Kremer, general manager, began his career there.
Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Do you wear out a pair of latex gloves before you finish all of your calf chores? Here’s a timesaver: Start your chores wearing a couple layers of gloves.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Many calf raisers have been battling Salmonella challenges during the warm and wet autumn. In this edition of Calf Chat, Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist, discusses the factors that lead to Salmonella as well as some ways to help calves fight back.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
A different strategy to raise beef calves
Imagine two newborn Holstein calves on a farm: a heifer that will be raised as a replacement and a bull that will be raised for beef. Their care is similar in the first couple days, but the strategies used to raise them will quickly diverge as the animals grow. Most notably, a focus on efficient growth tightens the curve for feeding and weaning dairy beef calves.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Stacy Jauquet of Jauquet's Hillview Dairy LLC explains how she communicates with the other members of the calf care team. She also explains how they care for calves during dark mornings and nights.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in 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.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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.
Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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.