Is it okay for the grain bucket to be empty? Before I answer that question, let us go over the importance of starter intake for pre-weaned calves.

The U.S. calf mortality rate is 6% to 8% (7.8%, USDA, 2007; 8.1%, USDA, 2010; 6%, USDA, 2017), inclusive of all housing types. According to Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Gold Standards, the target mortality rate from 24 hours old to 60 days old is 3% or less.

Protecting the investment in your heifer herd has never been more important. We tend to put a lot of emphasis on genetic progress with our breeding programs, but we fail to partner that with a quality heifer management program to allow our heifers to express their full genetic potential.

When discussing calf barn ventilation, invariably the topic of using four air exchanges per hour for cold-weather ventilation will come up. After all, we wouldn’t want “too much” of that cold air in the barn. Or would we?

Raising dairy heifers off-site increases the possibility of disease introduction, especially if animals are reared in a facility where they commingle with cattle from other dairies.