As part of its annual Green Fever sales program, John Deere announces major incentives on its entire line of compact tractors, utility tractors, and pull-type hay tools purchased from now through Jan. 31. In addition, the Green Fever promotion also will offer special pre-season incentives on select turf products purchased from now through Feb. 29.

“Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.”— Author unknown History doesn’t tell us who first uttered this age-old quote, but for centuries it has remained a statement of truth for many, including the founders and participants of Annie’s Project. Annie’s Project, or rather Annie’s National Network Initiative for Educational Success (ANNIES), was founded by Ruth Hambleton, daughter of Annie Fleck, to bring financial security and well-being to women in rural communities where food, feed, fiber and fuel production are identical with family farms.

High-performing CIP systems are important for the health and well-being of everyone who consumes milk, even the first customer in line for a serving – the dairy calf. At least that’s what one calf ranch operator from Texas learned recently. Calves were becoming increasingly ill with no explanation. All the usual suspects were checked: housing, bedding, feeding and health protocols. This rancher was running out of leads.

The most costly area of management on a dairy farm after feeding is raising or purchasing replacements. Beginning with the newborn calf, all the way to the freshening first-calf heifer, having replacements ready to enter the herd is a necessary part of the dairy’s herd cycle, and they represent the future of the dairy’s profit potential. It’s been well documented that replacement heifers that enter the herd between 22 and 24 months old can optimize profitable milk production. Other studies have shown that a baby calf that can double its birthweight by 60 days old will be much more productive over its lifetime.

For every dairy producer, the primary objective of good reproductive management is to assure cows calve at optimal intervals and maintain milk production at peak levels of efficiency. However, this requires producers to constantly keep a close eye on their cows, which isn’t always an easy task.

Pneumonia causes the second-highest number of cases of illness and death in young dairy calves, taking a back seat only to scours. Animals that do survive cases of calfhood pneumonia are likely to face a lifetime of diminished performance in the milking string. Research shows that replacement heifers experiencing pneumonia in the first 3 months of life are more likely to: • Experience significantly increased mortality • Have reduced average daily gain • Calve later than unaffected herdmates • Produce less milk in at least their first lactation

The quality of shelter given to heifers during cold weather is vital to their growth rate, performance and overall health. Less-than-optimal housing conditions expose heifer resting areas to precipitation and wind. These areas quickly become damp and muddy, causing wet, dirty hair coats. Add inadequate resting and feeding space to the equation and you create an environment where heifers are stressed and do not thrive, much less meet growth expectations.