There has been an increased incentive to feed the preweaned calf more milk to improve growth, feed efficiency and in many cases, health as compared to our traditional practice of limit feeding milk to stimulate rumen development and early weaning.

At the recent Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Field Day hosted by the Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference and allied industries, this topic took center stage. Speakers from various industry partners and academic institutions highlighted the promise and potential of technology in dairy farming.

For many years, the calf hutch has been considered the “gold” standard. Is it time to reevaluate this standard? Let’s consider the benefits and challenges of the calf hutch system compared to other alternatives.

Until recently, raising all heifer calves to breeding age or calving and selling them was not profitable. Using the concept of genomics, lower-ranking females in the herd have been bred to beef sires, resulting in a new profit center for many farms. Finally, we are learning to appreciate that the better we raise our heifer calves, the healthier they are, and they produce more milk during their first and later lactations.

Life after high school looks different for everyone, as each person’s path is unique. However, colleges including Northcentral Technical College are dedicated to offering experiences and hands-on opportunities that can serve as valuable foundations for future careers. 

Abundant information and opinions are available on design for cow barns; but there’s much less information available for designing calf barns – especially calf barns with group housing and automatic feeders.

An automatic calf feeder is a great tool for many calf programs. As with any piece of equipment, management is a key contributor to the success or failure of your autofeeder.