Starting Strong – Calf Care

In this edition of Starting Strong A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Cathy Speirs of Shiloh Dairy LLC shares what she and her team do to manage summertime heat and continue to provide calves with optimum care.

With the high cost of feed these days, it is the largest expense in raising dairy heifers. One way to control feed costs is to manage shrink. Shrink is defined as the amount of feed delivered or grown on a farm that is never consumed. Experts estimate that shrink may account for 5 to 30

Calf raisers invest a lot of time and energy into optimizing calf performance. Good feed management with young heifers can help to keep that momentum going as calves get older. Cody Yanzick, Vita Plus dairy nutritionist, has spent a lot of time helping producers develop their grower programs to meet heifers’ needs. He provides several

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.