Starting Strong – Calf Care

By Sean Sherrod, dairy and beef consultant For calf raisers here in southern Illinois, the summer’s drought has had a big impact on autumn management decisions. In this part of the Midwest, seasonal calving is common, especially on dairies with fewer than 300 cows. It’s simply too hot to have those calvings during the summer,

Dr. Owen Mickley, DVM, works as a dairy specialist in eastern Ohio. Prior to joining Vita Plus, Mickley served as a practicing veterinarian in New York and Ohio for three years. Q: Lately I have noticed an increase of navel infections, ear tag infections and joint swelling on our farm and this seems to happen

By Augusta Hagen, dairy nutrition and management fellow "Johne's disease has gone from a disease nonexistent in the USA (prior to 1908) to one that affects well over half of U.S. dairy herds," says Dr. Mike Collins with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Johne's is caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and is a

Molds – more specifically the mycotoxins they produce – can have a significant impact on dairy cattle performance, especially in young calves. That’s because rumen microorganisms in adult dairy cattle act to break down certain mycotoxins, making them less harmful to the animal. Young calves with undeveloped rumens don’t have that line of protection. This

By Ann Hoskins, calf products coordinator As we talked about in Calf Chat, it’s time to get out your winter gear and re-establish your winter protocols. Although we’re a few weeks away from implementing all of the winter protocols, temperatures are dropping fast and it’s better to be ready than scramble at the last minute.

By Gary Sipiorski, dairy development manager It was Henry Ford who invented the idea of the assembly line to build automobiles. He got the idea from observing the disassembly of beef carcasses in a slaughter plant. Cars in the early 1900s were built one at time from start to finish - a very slow and

Basic sanitation practices go a long way in helping you limit the disease pressure calves experience. When it comes to storing calf supplies, follow these simple guidelines and you'll be on your way to a clean, healthy environment for your calves: Make it easy: All of your supplies should be easy to reach and easy

Because they often require much less maintenance than baby calves, it can be easy to overlook transition calves when they move to group pens. However, you could be missing out on performance and health of these animals. In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann reminds us of the areas we should review frequently to make

Two Entities, One Goal – Quality Calf Care Located near Philips, Wis., in the heart of the state’s northwoods, United Pride Dairy started as a partnership between two neighbors in the 1990s. In 2000, the farm milked 200 cows and, by 2010, it had fully expanded to its current herd size of 1,650 cows, which

In this edition of Starting Strong A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, we meet Brooke Miller of Enchanted Dairy in Little Falls, Minn. and get a quick glimpse of the farm's calf program. A recent college graduate, Brooke has returned home to manage the Enchanted Dairy calf program. In future editions of

By Laura Zagorski, Dairy Service Specialist Like many areas in the Midwest, Michigan faced above average temperatures and dry conditions this summer. For calf raisers, this has created a need for a greater management emphasis on many of the basics. Even though fresh, clean water is always a vital nutrient required by our calves, it

By Dr. Becky Brotzman, DVM, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine associate outreach specialist, and Dr. Ken Nordlund, DVM, UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine clinical professor Q: With the huge temperature swings in the late summer and early fall, I am always wondering how to handle the curtains in both my nursery and transition

With Rod Martin, Vita Plus Dairy Technical Services An unusually hot summer has led to higher heat stress not only for employees, but also dry cows. Even though summer is almost over, and the cooler temperatures are around the corner, dairy operations will still see a drop in milk production. Rod Martin, Vita Plus dairy

We all know replacement heifer health is important. When we think of this topic, we often think of respiratory health, foot and leg health, and other more common, physical health issues. But we also need to watch for heifer mastitis. You may be asking, “How does a heifer get mastitis before her first calving and

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator Transitioning a calf from its individual pen to a group pen can be very stressful. We always say three strikes and you’re out. That can really hit home for your transition calves. Stressors that can affect these animals are new location, socializing, feed change, locating feed and

By Kate Griswold, Cross Plains Wondermakers 4-H Club and Waunakee FFA Chapter Ever since I can remember, agriculture has been a part of my life. When I was eight, my dad bought our first Angus cow. Our herd has since grown to include multiple beef cows and a diverse realm of other animals including sheep,