Optimal age at first calving has been debated for many years. There are many factors that can influence when a heifer calves for the very first time. Having a good heifer-raising program, coupled with an effective breeding program, are key elements.

Whether you concentrate on developing elite genetics or producing milk for the market, genomic data can be a valuable tool in achieving your goals. In this article, we will examine testing options and how both breeding herds and commercial herds might use those options differently.

The 2015 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) and the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) took place in Orlando, Florida, in July.

For Kevin Souza, the importance of proper calf nutrition has been his biggest lesson in calf care in the past 18 years he’s spent as the managing partner at Victory Farms in Millbank, South Dakota.

Imagine an employee wearing gloves in a clean, dry pen skillfully administering high-quality colostrum to a calf born just minutes ago. The calf’s navel has already been dipped, the calf dried, and all information recorded in the logs.

Automatic calf feeding has become very popular in the U.S. in the past few years. The technology offers plenty of opportunities but also requires a refocus on management. The decision of whether autofeeders fit your calf program needs to be made only after careful consideration of how the opportunities and challenges will play out on your operation.