‘Growing the Modern Calf’ on your farm

By Bethany Dado-Senn, Ph.D., Vita Plus dairy calf and heifer specialist

More than 350 dairy producers and industry professionals learned the latest science and management strategies to raise today’s dairy calf during the Vita Plus Growing the Modern Calf workshops held this past spring.  When the workshop series resumes this fall, more farm owners and managers will have the opportunity to explore these topics and how they can be put to work on their farms.  Expert speakers include Bethany Dado-Senn, Ph.D., Ann Hoskins, Lauryn Krentz, and Noah Litherland, Ph.D.

Following are a few of the workshops’ key discussions that have already helped calf raisers identify opportunities to improve calf performance.

The biology of converting milk into calf growth

• How to use typical calf key performance indicators (KPIs) – including calf weights, average daily gain, and health metrics – to set benchmarks and goals
• How to build a milk feeding strategy that makes best use of this key ingredient in your farm’s calf nutrition program
• Inflammation diverts energy and can reduce growth; learn about the Vita Plus milk philosophy, which seeks to optimize calf growth and cost of gain by limiting inflammation risk

Grain to growth: getting the most from your calf feed

• The essential role starter grain plays in rumen development and calf growth
• Key factors that impact starter intake, including milk volume, starter form and ingredients, and water availability
• Feeding starter with purpose by providing fresh, age-dependent and accessible starter

The next frontier of calf raising: maternal contributions to calf growth

• Breeding strategies with beef or sexed semen to generate thrifty, profitable calves
• Dry cow diets and health outcomes that may promote or inhibit calf growth
• The latest in colostrum management

Calf housing and feeding strategies to support calf growth

• Optimizing the environment in your housing system: calf hutches and barns (A-frame, Danish-style and retrofit)
• Optimizing the feeding system to support your nutrition program: individual, small group, rail-feeding and automated calf feeders

How have fellow producers used what they’ve learned so far?

Some producers have modified their feeding programs by changing the milk feeding curves in their automated calf feeders, implementing a texturized starter grain over a pelleted starter, or adding calf weights to their herd benchmarking.

As many producers look to expand their dairies, they are considering youngstock housing modifications or new facilities, and they’re having more robust facility design discussions with their teams and builders.  In addition, Vita Plus consultants have conducted numerous follow-up ventilation audits to determine current housing air quality (contact your Vita Plus consultant to schedule an audit if interested).

We’ve also had many in-depth discussions with producers about their replacement heifer strategies, asking questions like “does using sexed semen on virgin heifers lead to a less thrifty calf? If so, what can we do about it?”

The Growing the Modern Calf workshop series was created to aid dairy farms of all scopes and sizes in identifying the next opportunities for calf management. Ask your Vita Plus consultant about attending a workshop this fall.

For more details on the topics covered, check out these summaries from Dairy Herd Management.

Links:

https://www.dairyherd.com/news/education/milks-role-calf-growth-laying-foundation-productive-cow

https://www.dairyherd.com/news/dairy-production/hidden-cost-heat-stress-unborn-calf

https://www.dairyherd.com/news/education/improving-calf-health-starts-better-prepartum-cow-nutrition