Starting Strong – Calf Care

Question:  At what temperature do you need calf jackets? 

Quck answer:  Here’s a good rule of thumb.  When the night and day temperatures added together equal 90 degrees F or lower, a calf less than three weeks old should wear a calf jacket. 

A little more on that...

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Getting calves off to a good start is key to long-term health and performance.

This starts in the maternity pen. It is vital that the calving area is clean, dry, provides ample space for calving, and is comfortable for the cow. For newborn calves – and their immune systems – the goal is to provide the best environment possible.  That is one that is free of manure and allows for an easy entrance into the world.

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
The immune system needs fuel to function normally and protect the calf from pathogens.  The first few weeks of life and the weaning period are two key times when energy intake is often limited, resulting in reduced efficiency of immune function. 

By Frankie Tiberio, Vita Plus Columbus dairy specialist
The North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) is a two-day competition between teams of North American universities’ dairy science students. Each four-person team receives production and management data from a selected farm, visits and evaluates the dairy operation, and develops a presentation for the producer, including recommendations in areas such as transition cows or parlor management. The teams’ presentations are evaluated on the analysis of the farm data and their recommendations. The two days also include a banquet and social hours where students have the opportunity to network with various industry professionals.  At the career fair, students can bring their résumés and speak with company representatives about job and internship opportunities.

If you’re raising calves in hutches, take a good look at where drafts might be getting in and chilling your calves.  For example, the bottle holder might be a draft source.  Putting a small amount of straw in the bottle holder area is one small, simple way to help protect your calves on the coldest, windiest days.