We were determined to try our best and put in extra effort to give this calf the best chance of survival possible. Although every farm might have their own premature calf protocol, I will share ours that successfully worked.

While it may be tempting to raise every heifer calf, especially when replacement rates are high, it is essential to your profitability to identify when and why culling is necessary.

Combating the pathogen that causes scours, providing for the calf's physiological demands (hydration, energy and acid/base balance) and restoring intestinal health are the three main objectives of calf scours therapy.

Many producers turn to a custom calf raiser because they want to offload heifer-raising challenges. You might have other reasons for sending calves away, such as saving forage and labor for the milking herd or the lack of updated calf facilities.

Giving calves a good start can be expensive. However, not investing in your calf operation can cost you in the parlor. Too many dairies chase after pennies of efficiency on the cow side but trip over dollars of missed opportunities in their calf program.

While failures of the immune system are often seen, little is taken into account of what the immune system requires and if it is getting what it needs from the digestive system of the animal.

In the realm of beef-on-dairy calves, the presence of beef genetics imparts inherent advantages, promising greater consistency and robust muscling when compared to their all-dairy breed counterparts. 

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Jenn Coyne visits with Jason Anderson and Pam Selz-Pralle regarding the recently updated Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) Gold Standards.

Understanding the fundamentals of vaccination helps optimize the return on your vaccine investments and ensure calves are prepared for the challenges they’ll face.