VIDEO: Calf chat with Lucas – Calf jackets

Posted on October 27, 2023 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition of Calf Chat, Lucas Mitchell, Ph.D., talks about calf jackets. 

Calf care checklist: 5 tips for winter management

Posted on January 24, 2023 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Bethany Dado-Senn, Ph.D. | Of all the animals on your dairy farm, calves are the most susceptible to cold stress and require the most attention when facing winter weather. Fortunately, these tools can help you efficiently and strategically keep calves warm throughout the winter months.

Calf chat with Lucas: Feeding water in winter

Posted on February 10, 2022 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
In this edition, Dr. Lucas Mitchell, Vita Plus dairy calf and heifer specialist, discusses water's role in calf health and growth, and suggests strategies to efficiently provide water in the winter. Visit our YouTube channel for more calf chat segments.

Learning from the swine industry: Starting nursery piglets

Posted on December 16, 2021 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
We can often gain helpful knowledge, awareness and practical tips when we look outside of our day-to-day activities. Pat Bane was named America’s Pig Farmer of the Year in 2018. In this article, he shares his insights for successfully raising nursery piglets. By Pat Bane, Bane Family Pork co-owner and manager There is not a more stressful time in a pig’s life than the days following weaning. Anything we can do to lessen that stress is a benefit to the animal.

VIDEO: Calf Chat Roundtable – A Calf’s Holiday Wishlist

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.

VIDEO: Calf Chat with Ann – Winter Calf Care

Posted on January 28, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

In this edition of Calf Chat, Ann Hoskins visits Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy to discuss their winter calf care protocols and "neonatal intensive care unit." 

VIDEO: A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser – Winter Calf Processing

Posted on January 28, 2020 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

In this edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Brianna Hackbarth, a calf manager at Fischer-Clark Dairy Farm Inc., walks us through the farm's winter calf processing procedures.

Calf Care Checklist: 7 Ways to Keep Milk Warm Before you Feed It

Posted on November 13, 2019 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
It is critical for calves to receive milk between 100 and 105 degrees F, but this can be challenging during the winter. Try any of these seven ways to keep milk warm before you feed it.

Regional Report: Northern Michigan

Posted on December 26, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Charlie Kunisch, Vita Plus dairy & beef specialist
With the beginning of December came the beginning of winter in northern Michigan. Areas across the northern part of the state have seen upward of 12 inches of snow and temperatures dropping into the teens.  As producers dig out their calf hutches and thaw waterers, here are a few things to consider.

Calf Care Checklist: Storing and Mixing Milk Replacer

Posted on December 26, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
To properly store milk replacer, (1) keep milk replacer in a clean, dry area.  (2) In mixing areas, keep milk replacer in a clean tote or covered container.  (3) If milk replacer is kept in the bag, roll down the bag after each use.

Calf Care Checklist: Winter Ventilation – Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus

Posted on October 25, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator

As we quickly approach winter, here are a few items you can check to make sure your calf barn ventilation is working properly.

Calf Care Quick Tip: Jackets at the Ready

Posted on October 25, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

It’s time once again for calf jackets, and it’s important to provide clean jackets for newborn calves.

Calf Care Quick Tip: Caffeine for Calves – Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus

Posted on August 23, 2017 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator
Using 5-hour ENERGY® for a calf can be the quick-pick-me-up a calf needs.

Regional Calf Report: Eastern Wisconsin – Lauryn Krentz, Vita Plus

Posted on December 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Lauryn Krentz, Vita Plus dairy specialist
It was an unseasonably warm fall with a fair amount of wet weather here in eastern Wisconsin.  Many producers struggled in November because of varying temperatures and rain.  Calves housed outside in hutches frequently had wet bedding and feed while those housed indoors experienced respiratory issues from the humidity and fluctuating temperatures.  In calf and heifer barns with curtains, it was hard to know when to raise and lower the curtains to adjust for the rapidly changing weather.  On top of this odd weather, farms without a dedicated calf team had limited time to focus on calves while they finished field work in the small windows of opportunity available to them.

Regional Calf Report: Eastern Iowa – Jeff Hoeger, Vita Plus

Posted on November 21, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

By Jeff Hoeger, Vita Plus dairy specialist
The temperature has frequently been in the 60s and 70s and harvest is in full swing here in eastern Iowa. However, winter and the very cold weather that comes with it are just around the corner.  Calf managers and dairy managers alike are starting to think about winter preparation for nursery calves.  Here are a few things that we need to prepare before the cold weather arrives.

NEW! Fast Fact: When to Put on Calf Jackets

Posted on February 17, 2016 in Starting Strong - Calf Care

Question:  At what temperature do you need calf jackets? 

Quck answer:  Here’s a good rule of thumb.  When the night and day temperatures added together equal 90 degrees F or lower, a calf less than three weeks old should wear a calf jacket. 

A little more on that...