So which came first, the chicken or the egg? In her presentation at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s Calf Care Connection event last October, Dr. Sandra Godden, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine, likened the question of calf-feeding systems versus housing systems to this age-old quandary.

Ruedinger Farms Inc., in Van Dyne, Wisconsin, has expanded its operation by 500 head within the last five years. They currently have 1,400 cows and 210 calves. What is the secret to their success? Well, a large part of their success resides in their calf care protocols. A high-quality milking herd starts with high-quality calves. Get a glimpse of their operation by viewing the slideshow below. PD

Over the past five years, Ruedinger Farms Inc. in Van Dyne, Wisconsin, has increased its herd size by 400 head. They now have 1,400 cows and 210 calves.On average, the farm is milking 1,200 cows each day with one double-11 parlor.

A little over 11 years ago, Cathy Speirs and her husband, Gordon, decided to move their small dairy operation from Alberta, Canada, to Brillion, Wisconsin. At the time, they only had 125 cows on their operation. Through many years of hard work, they and their two sons have grown the herd to 2,000 milking cows and 2,200 calves and replacement heifers.

Feeding young calves to their full potential is a growing concept in the U.S. dairy industry. As the practice becomes more widespread, researchers have found that calves raised on a full potential diet:

In this Vita Plus YouTube video, Ann Hoskins, the company's calf products coordinator, outlines how to set the feeding program in an autofeeder system.

Numerous products and feed additives have been used in an effort to improve the health and performance of baby calves. During the past year, we were involved in trials that looked at three ingredients. The additives were bone charcoal, a direct fed microbial (probiotic) and Immunoglobulin Y (IgY).

Tubing helps clear the air The calf hutches at Emmerich Dairy in Wheeler, Illinois, had a ventilation problem. A machine shed and a freestall barn upwind of the hutches prevented them from getting the breezes needed to keep the calves cool and the hutches ventilated on the 70-cow dairy.

When it comes to raising calves, Meadow Brook Dairy Farms is known as one of the best, and with the recent addition of a new calf barn and automated feeding, the best just got better.

The most efficient rate of growth a calf experiences is in the first month of life. Strong growth and good calf health is linked to improved performance of heifers with a trend toward earlier first breeding and increased milk yields.