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Group housing in the calf barn has become an efficient way to house and manage dairy calves. Since our Grober Young Animal Development Center opened its doors in 2009, there has been a dedicated effort to demonstrating the benefits of raising these young animals in groups; some of those benefits include improved growth performance during weaning and post-weaning.
Those particular benefits were uncovered in calves grouped right from the start. However, could there an advantage to housing calves individually to start out and then moving them into a group setting to maximize performance and also satisfy their innate need to socialize?
There’s been lots of discussion over the years as to what’s the best way to feed the neonatal calf. The calf-raising program on a dairy farm is a critical cog in the long-term profitability of that dairy. Replacement heifer calves represent the future of the herd both in productivity and genetics.
Yet the calf-raising program is often looked upon with varying degrees of displeasure. It’s labor-intensive and, especially when overrun with health issues, can be challenging and discouraging. When other problems arise on the farm during the day, the calves have to wait their turn.
In the September 1 issue of Progressive Dairyman, we reached out to calf researchers and asked them to share their thoughts on the future of automatic calf feeding.
For this issue, we’ve invited company representatives to talk about their automatic calf feeding offerings.
Calf management has become increasingly important for many dairy producers, as scientific evidence suggests that the early stages of a heifer’s development can have long-lasting effects on her future production.
As such, more attention has been given to adequate colostrum feeding soon after birth.
As summer fades to a close, take steps to help prevent the costly effects of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Changing weather conditions can create respiratory challenges for calves. Cooling temperatures in fall and big temperature swings between day and night can lead to stress on calves’ immune systems.
Colder weather requires closing windows and doors of calf housing, creating an environment at more risk for improper ventilation, minimized air exchange and, potentially, a buildup of BRD-causing pathogens – all contributing to a utopia for BRD infections.
It was a hot sunny day in southern California when I received a phone call to do a field postmortem.
I immediately said yes – I like to do those farm visits because they give me a chance to see the surrounding area and to meet local producers and veterinarians.
Arie Roeloffs comes from a family that has been dairying for generations. Southfield Dairy in Wendell, Idaho, began milking in 1992. They have almost 5,200 head and raise all of their own calves, with almost 700 on a bottle. They also farm 5,500 acres, growing their own corn. We asked Roeloffs what the 5 things were that he can’t live without when it comes to calf raising.
Does vaccination equal immunization? How do animals develop immunity? What challenges do animals encounter when trying to develop adequate immune response?
These questions come up occasionally as dairy producers are working with their herd veterinarian to develop a herd health protocol. Let’s start by going over some immunology basics. Vaccination does not equal immunization.
For several years, California dairyman Greg Hooker has been aligning his 4,500-cow dairy operation for what he says is a “large shift” in heifer rearing – a focus on quality and not quantity.
“In the past, we’ve gotten as many heifers as we can, kept as many alive as we can, raised as many as we can. And if you didn’t need them, then you could sell them,” Hooker says. “The ability to sell springers for a profit – long-term – isn’t necessarily there anymore.”
