Starting Strong – Calf Care

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,

It's mid-morning and the rain clouds are approaching. Your calves' starter and water pails sit outside the hutch. You know most of the calves still have a little grain left in their pails. You hate to throw it out and waste feed, but you know you can't leave it in the rain or you'll have

Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, located in Kewaunee, Wis., is the largest single family-owned dairy in Wisconsin. It all started in 1946 when Carl and Garnett Pagel purchased the farm with eight cows, eight pigs and some chickens. Since then, Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy has gone through tough times, but always managed to grow from those experiences. Pagel’s

The team at Dairy Dreams LLC values high quality calf care on its operation to ensure the best calf health around. Six years ago, Dairy Dreams purchased hutches and brought the calves home. The farm is currently building a heifer barn on the main farm to bring all heifers home and have all livestock in

Download a printable PDF Presentation When it comes to milk replacers, Dave Kuehnel, president of Milk Products LLC, knows the "in’s and out’s" of an ingredient label. During his presentation at Vita Plus Calf Summit, Kuehnel focused on an ingredient of milk replacer that may be more valuable in human food and medicine products: whey.

University of Wisconsin-Madison veterinarian Sheila McGuirk has several helpful hints when handling calves, particularly in stressful situations for youngstock, such as dehorning and vaccinations. She kicked off her wet lab presentation at Vita Plus Calf Summit by evaluating an animal for respiratory disease. She advised growers to look for the following symptoms, and if they