Developing or improving your farm’s guidelines for cleaning and sanitizing calf housing might seem like a daunting task. Try looking at it from a different angle. As a dairy farmer, you are more than likely familiar with the careful, well-thought-out routine of cleaning and sanitizing equipment in your parlor or milk house.

With the advent of on-farm pasteurizers, more and more dairy producers and custom calf raisers are choosing non-salable waste milk as the primary source of liquid calf rations. In fact, industry estimates suggest nearly half of all dairy calves raised in the U.S. are fed a diet of whole milk for at least part of the pre-weaned stage.

A technology that has become a “norm” on European dairy operations, automated calf feeders have changed the system of feeding and observing calves in a multitude of ways. Seeing these results, U.S. dairymen can’t avoid the question: How could this technology better their operations and improve the health, growth and milk consumption of calves on their own farms?

Ideally, a cow calves on her own with no human assistance needed. However, for one reason or another, that does not always happen. Dr. Vicky Lauer, a member of Animart’s professional services veterinarian team, says there are a number of things that can go wrong during the calving process.

During a busy routine schedule at a dairy farm, calves can be easily overlooked, and that is the biggest mistake a farmer can make. The future performance of a heifer is well-linked with her performance during the preweaning period, and being negligent during this period will translate into a less productive and profitable cow.

The mercury is inching up the thermometer and everyone is feeling the heat – especially those dairy calves.