Starting Strong – Calf Care

Bright pink socks in NFL games and pink ribbons pinned to jackets remind us that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This annual campaign has helped raise funds for research and reminds women of the importance of early detection.  But this focus on preventative care and a healthy lifestyle should continue long after the October

Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist We’ve arrived at the time of year when we hear reports of low colostrum yield from fresh cows.  Field results indicate colostrum yield may reach a low point in November and December, averaging less than 5 pounds of milk per cow at first milking. Both colostrum

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist Five key metrics can help us evaluate calf performance.  They are: Birth bodyweight Gestation length, calving ease score, calving outside the calving pen, twinning, and failure of passive transfer Health treatment and age at treatment Age, weight and hip height at weaning/grouping Weight at three

By Pat Hoffman, Vita Plus dairy technical specialist Estimating feed intake (dry matter intake) of dairy heifers is an important part of dairy heifer nutrition, but there is a little catch and a trick to get it close. Many of us use heifer bodyweight to estimate feed intake of dairy heifers.  Bodyweight-based heifer feed intake

By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist Question:  How do I interpret my water test results and what impact do these results have on my calves? Answer:  A few weeks ago, I received an email from a calf grower struggling with calf health and growth.  The consultant collected a water sample and

By Bryan Knoper, Vita Plus dairy specialist Calf raising trends in the Indiana market area have changed greatly in the past several years. It seems, when accelerated growth milk replacers were introduced, many producers adopted this new technology and were pleased with the early growth they could clearly identify without even weighing or measuring the

We are excited to introduce you to Stacy Jauquet of Jauquet's Hillview Dairy in Luxemburg, Wisconsin.  For the next year, Stacy will give you an inside look at her calf program and the strategies she's learned to raise healthy, strong calves.  In this edition, Stacy share's the details on her maternity protocols.  Visit our YouTube

Autofeeders Help Calves Reach Genetic Potential The team at Creamery Creek Holsteins LLC in Bangor, Wisconsin continually keeps an eye on emerging technologies to optimize performance on the 700-cow dairy.  So, as automatic calf feeders gained a foothold in the U.S. marketplace, manager Justin Peterson researched and adopted the technology for his calf operation. Prior

In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator, reminds us that these beautiful fall days may be drawing to a close as winter approaches.  That means it's time to get our calves ready for dropping temperatures and other cold-weather challenges. Visit our YouTube channel for more Calf Chat segments.

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