Starting Strong – Calf Care

Maaike Verhaar was born in the Netherlands, but moved to the United States 14 years ago. Across the ocean, her family milked 30 cows, but the farm it owns today is a bit different. Today, Verhaar Dairy in Bad Axe, Mich. milks 2,150 with a total herd of 5,000. In about a month, Verhaar will

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:  What makes the ideal maternity facility? A:  Prior to birth, calves are well protected inside the uterus from bacterial, physical and temperature changes.

Raising calves in hutches in the winter can be a challenge, but a couple of simple steps can make it much easier. After a snow fall, walk through your hutches and pick up the front panel. This will keep it from freezing down and make it much easier to remove when it comes time to

 In this edition of the Vita Plus Starting Strong - Calf Chat with Ann, we take a look at winter programs and polish up on the details that can make all the difference and get your calves off to the strongest start possible.

Great Genetics, Great Care, Great Calves A strong focus on calves goes hand-in-hand with a strong focus on genetics. That’s the story at Bomaz Farms in Hammond, Wis. Brothers Bob and Greg Zwald own and operate Bomaz Farms with their wives, Kay and Irma. Bob and Greg’s father started the home farm in 1953 and

What’s become conventional calf feeding isn’t necessarily what’s closest to “natural” calf growth programs. That’s according to Dr. Jim Drackley of the University of Illinois during his presentation at Vita Plus Dairy Summit 2010. Calf feeding programs that are most successful nutritionally mimic cow’s milk.  Drackley introduced the idea of “biologically appropriate nutrition” to Summit

Just like you put on multiple layers of clothing before you head outside in the winter, your calves also need a good way to “bundle up” when it gets cold. What’s more, their “winter outfits” need to be dry and clean to prevent respiratory disease. Here are some quick tips to follow when bedding hutches

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator Feeding Colostrum Calves are born without immunity to the various diseases they will be exposed to in the first months of life. Therefore, newborn calves rely on the ingestion of maternal colostrum to achieve passive transfer of immunity. Colostrum provides the calf with immunoglobulins (Ig), also called

 For this edition of Vita Plus Starting Strong - Beyond the Barn, we traveled to Minneapolis, Minn. for Vita Plus Dairy Summit 2010. Nearly 400 producers, industry peers and Vita Plus staff gathered Dec. 8 and 9 to learn about the latest dairy research and practical solutions to take home to their farms.

Q:  What is the best way to get extra energy into my calves in cold weather? Environmental factors can have major effects on the energy requirement of young calves. Newborn calves are particularly vulnerable to temperature changes. The newborn calf has a thermoneutral zone that falls between 55 and 77 degrees F. This means calves

Feeding water in the winter is very important to raising healthy calves. Just remember to save yourself some hassle and dump the water before those pails freeze (within an hour). Dump away from the hutches and pathways where you feed the calves. Ice blocks and ice patches can make moving around the pens and hutches

From Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator As 2009 draws to a close, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on what I’ve been seeing in the calf care industry. Throughout my travels, I’ve added an extra 40,000 miles to my odometer as I’ve visited 200 operations to work with producers and help get their

At City Slickers Farm in Cross Plains, Wis., calf care is of the utmost importance. That’s because owners Mike and Linda Hellenbrand have “zero tolerance” for losing even one calf. Mike and Linda purchased City Slickers Farm in 1995 as an investment and moved from New York City in 2001 to begin farming fulltime. As

Environmental factors can have major effects on the energy requirement of young calves. Newborn calves are particularly vulnerable to temperature changes. The newborn calf has a thermoneutral zone that falls between 55˚F and 77˚F. Within this range of temperatures the animal is not required to dissipate or conserve heat to maintain body temperature. Therefore, when

Getting calves off to a good start will improve performance and result in a more productive replacement heifer back into the herd. A key component of every good start is colostrum management. Colostrum is the first milk harvested from the cow after calving and is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, fat and protein. It

Dairymen and calf raisers spend lots of time and money on vaccines. Vaccines are used by almost all producers, but there are many common questions that everyone wants to know: Which product is best? What dosage and injection site? What age should the calf be when vaccinated? These are common questions. Circulation of many opinions