Starting Strong – Calf Care

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator Recognizing and treating dehydration is key to raising healthy calves. Calves will become dehydrated for many reasons, including summer heat and scours. If you can catch dehydration early, supplemental fluids can get the calf on the road to a quicker recovery. A calf’s body contains 75 to

In this edition of Starting Strong Beyond the Barn, we head to Kellercrest Registered Holsteins in Mt. Horeb, Wis. for Vita Plus Chick Day 2011. More than 130 farm women, Vita Plus staff and friends came together for the day of networking, learning and fun. Through our basket auction and raffle, we raised $7,600 for

Dr. Becky Brotzman, DVM, is the associate outreach specialist for the Food Animal Production Medicine section at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Q: “I am concerned with heat stress in my calves. I currently use both hutches and a calf barn for raising my pre-weaned calves. What are my options for heat

With this Starting Strong Quick Tip, we're challenging calf raisers to get creative when choosing the tools that will increase efficiency and optimize calf care. J. Hall of Hall's Calf Ranch did that when he custom-designed this pail washer. Have a cool tool you designed for your farm?  Tell us about it!

Vita Plus is pleased to introduce to you the latest product to join our milk replacer line. Calf Precision is a 24/18 milk replacer designed to captialize on the rapid early growth potential of calves, while allowing a seamless transition to consuming calf starter. It provides increased nutrients for optimal early growth, improved immune function

We talk a lot about cold stress in calves, but heat stress can be equally hard on your calves. In this edition of Vita Plus Starting Strong Calf Chat, Ann explores several management strategies to keep calves cool in the summertime.

Kellercrest Registered Holsteins Place Intense Focus on Genetics and Animal Care Family is truly the central theme at Kellercrest Registered Holsteins in Mt. Horeb, Wis. The 320-cow dairy is a partnership between brothers Tim and Mark Keller and their wives, Sandy and Kareen. Tim and Sandy's teenage kids, Andrew and Kimberly, also own a few

We are excited to introduce a new segment to Starting Strong. A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser will follow one of your peers as she provides practical tips and management strategies that she uses to raise healthy calves on her operation. In this segment, meet Cathy Speirs of Shiloh Dairy LLC in

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. It’s normally fed via nipple bottle and/or esophageal feeder. The most recent NAHMS (2007)

Fans used to cool calves during the summer improves average daily gain and reduces respiration rates, according to research reported in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Dairy Science. Researchers housed pre-weaned calves in wire mesh pens in a curtain-sided, naturally ventilated nursery and bedded them with straw. One treatment was cooled with

By Ann Hoskins Current market conditions have once again led to a steep increase in the cost of milk replacer powder over the past three to four months. Whey protein and lard prices are the primary drivers of the increased cost, but the uptrend of milk replacer prices has rightfully coincided with significant increases in

 Cows on the Concourse is an annual event that kicks off June Dairy Month in the Madison, Wis. area. More than 150 volunteers - farmers, students, other professionals - join together to bring cows to the Capitol Square in downtown Madison. The event offers an opportunity for consumers and cows to meet face-to-face.

Dr. Neil Michael comes to Starting Strong with nearly 30 years of experience as a veterinarian specializing in dairy. He currently works as the director of dairy initiatives for Vita Plus. Q: “We have been experiencing more cases of bloat of sudden onset resulting in high mortality. Our vet says this is caused by clostridium.

Summer time stressors like high heat and humidity can reduce a calf’s response to vaccines. Sam Leadly, calf and heifer management specialist with Attica Veterinary Associates, offers these tips for vaccinating in the summer: Vaccinate early in the morning when heat stress is lowest. Keep vaccines out of direct sunlight. Keep vaccines cool by putting

You never want to be behind when it comes to good fly control. In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann discusses products and management strategies to take on summer's pests.

The People Make the Difference at Hall’s Calf Ranch 1997 marked the beginning of J. Hall’s career as a custom calf raiser. He started with 15 rented hutches and a superhutch, raising calves for one nearby dairy. Within six months, he grew to 100 calves from three customers and built his first barn. That growth