Posted on January 26, 2021 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dave Chamberlin, Vita Plus swine technical sales manager, and Garrett Rozeboom, Vita Plus swine technical services manager
Although we focus on animals with only one stomach, many of the practices we use to manage pigs translate across species. These are our top five rules for managing ventilation in swine barns.
Posted on January 26, 2021 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Curt Vlietstra, Boehringer Ingelheim senior professional services veterinarian
The Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) we see on farms today is different from the BVD that was first identified in the 1940s. While it may not be as obvious as it once was, timely vaccinations and good management can help protect your future herd investment.
Posted on January 26, 2021 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Lucas Mitchell, Vita Plus calf and heifer specialist
The easiest way to know if we are feeding calves the proper amount of milk is by paying attention to how they perform. Look for these five indicators the next time you walk through the calf barn.
Posted on January 26, 2021 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
The team at Birchen Farms Inc. in Pearl City, Illinois, pre-fills condiment cups with iodine and stores the cups in buckets in the maternity area. Iodine is always ready and available when a newborn calf needs its navel dipped. The disposable cups prevent cross-contamination between calves.
Posted on November 23, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Raising calves in group housing continues to gain interest among both dairy producers and researchers. The team at Birchen Farms Inc. in Pearl City, Illinois, has successfully raised calves in group housing for about 16 years. While their calf and heifer program differs from many Midwest farms, they consistently raise strong and healthy replacements for the herd.
Posted on November 23, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of Calf Chat, the Vita Plus calf team hosts a roundtable to discuss your calf's "holiday wishlist" and what they need to thrive during this time of the year.
Posted on November 23, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Jill Houin discusses the Homestead Dairy, LLC maternity protocols and how they give the calves a successful start to life.
Posted on November 12, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Ideally, the weaning process results in minimal disruptions in nutrient supply to the calf and, in turn, accelerates grain intake. Weaning age, starter intake at the onset of weaning, and weaning strategy are all components of a smooth transition into to the grower phase.
Posted on November 12, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Keith Poulsen, University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
While most of us want to know why all abortions happen, this article focuses on when you should have a diagnostic work-up done, what you can learn from them, and how you can apply it to dairy herd management.
Posted on November 12, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
As technology delivers more and more details, it’s easy to forget all the little things along the way. Here are eight things you should check to make sure your autofeeder is functioning properly.
Posted on November 12, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Providing high-quality, clean colostrum to newborn calves may be more difficult in the late-fall and winter months as farms often see a slump in cows’ colostrum production. SerPass colostrum replacers provide a convenient, safe, and effective alternative.
Posted on September 18, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
When the team at Hilltop Dairy LLC in Markesan, Wisconsin, decided to build a new calf barn five years ago, they didn’t rush the process and, instead, invested a lot of time into touring and researching barns to design a facility that best fit the farm.
Posted on September 18, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins discusses colostrum slumps and what calf raisers can do when enough quality colostrum isn't readily available.
Posted on September 18, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Jill Houin reflects on her experience at the Indy 500 and discusses the tradition of a dairy farmer presenting the winner with a bottle of ice-cold milk.
Posted on September 18, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist
Developing replacement heifers is a significant and necessary expenditure for dairies. Make the most of your investment by raising the right number of quality heifers.