Starting Strong – Calf Care

By Scott Hall, Vita Plus safety director Forage and grain harvests are approaching quickly.  Add in the responsibility we still have to care for our animals and this time of year can be very stressful.  Don’t add to it with the tragedy of a severe injury or death.  Here are 10 tips to stay safe

Today’s average consumer is at least three to four generations removed from the farm.  Even in rural school districts, farm kids are in the minority in the classroom.  That means these students have less exposure to the more than 300 careers available in the dairy industry. In June, the team at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy in

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator J Hall of Hall’s Calf Ranch began his business by raising 12 calves behind his house.  That picture is a bit different today. Hall’s Calf Ranch in Kewaunee, Wisconsin is now home to 5,000 calves in hutches and another 2,200 weaned calves in barns.  Most arrive at

By Dr. Ana Paula Monteiro, research scientist, and Dr. Sha Tao, Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia Although heat stress affects a cow at all stages of her life cycle, farmers usually focus on heat-stressed lactating cows as the decrease in milk production is easily noticed. However, studies have shown that dry

In this video, Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator, reminds us that cleanliness is key to raising healthy calves in any system.  She shares tips for cleaning automatic calf feeders and identifying potential hot spots for bacterial growth. Click here for Part 1 in this video series and stay tuned for a future video

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist Question:  Why is starter grain important for dairy calves? Answer: Develop rumen tissue important for absorption of microbial end-products of fermentation (VFA).  Calves are only monogastrics for a short few weeks after birth and then start developing a fully functional rumen, which will serve as

By Rebekah LaBerge, Ag Partners calf specialist With harvest right around the corner, many of us that focus on calves will have a hard time catching folks for calf walkthroughs and evaluations. We might get the occasional phone call or run over for a quick talk about calves in the tractor cab. During harvest (and

In her final edition of Starting Strong, Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin shares the things her team does to keep calves cool and healthy through the summer heat.  A big thank you to Katie for sharing her expertise and experiences with us this past year! Visit our YouTube channel for

Focus on Calf Care Basics Key to Hilltop Dairy’s Growth and Success Hilltop Dairy LLC in Waupun, Wisconsin continually strives to reach new goals, whether it’s through the farm’s strong genetics program or milk production.  In fact, the 1,200-cow dairy recently achieved a new milestone in producing an average of 100,000 pounds of milk per

In this edition of Calf Chat, Dr. Noah Litherland shares a recap of exciting calf and heifer research presented at this summer's American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) meeting.  The Joint Annual Meeting brings together leading researchers from ADSA and the American Society of Animal Science. Visit our YouTube channel for more Calf Chat segments.

Wasted starter is money that could have been put to better use.  Here are a couple quick tips to reduce starter waste: Don’t overfeed starter. Young calves do not eat much and, therefore, do not need a pail full. Calves like their starter fresh, so providing smaller amounts close to their intakes will help encourage

By Mariah Martin, 2015 Dane County Fairest of the Fair As an 11-year 4-H member, when July comes around it only means one thing:  the Dane County Fair. My family spent eight of my 11 years showing dairy and rabbits and completing sewing, cake decorating, art, photography and many other projects. This year, instead of

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist The summer months have no shortage of activities and projects on the farm, which makes it easy to forget the details as we rush from one task to the next. However, what seem like minor details can have major impacts on calf performance.  These include

By Dr. Rob Farruggio, Jefferson Veterinary Clinic When dealing with calf health issues, it is common to investigate whether the calf was handled properly in the first few hours of life. This includes moving the calf to a clean dry place within one hour of birth, dipping the navel, feeding clean, high quality colostrum in

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist In the calf world, we often think of protein in terms of percentage of milk replacer powder, but a multitude of factors affect the growing calf’s protein needs. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and vital to maintenance, growth and structural development.  Amino

Question:  What’s the best way to feed colostrum?  By bottle or esophageal feeder? A:  Colostrum management is of critical importance for maximizing calf health.  Multiple factors influence passive transfer of immunity from colostrum, including quality, quantity, quickness and cleanliness.  Current recommendations call for the first colostrum feeding to be delivered within four hours of birth,