A calf blanket is a great tool to help a young calf regulate body temperature. When a calf is born, it is not capable of regulating body temperature.

Mitch Breunig of Mystic Valley Dairy, LLC in Sauk City, Wisconsin, raises 225 calves each year for the 430-cow operation. About 180 of the herd is raised by a heifer grower from age 7 months to about 60 days before calving. Keeping tabs on weights and the growth of the animals has always been an important part of calf rearing on the operation, though the method wasn’t always consistent.

As margins become tighter for dairy producers, prioritizing the investment in raising healthy calves can pay large dividends down the road. Professional heifer growers and dairy producers need to pay close attention to rearing costs, especially liquid feed costs, while ensuring calves meet their nutritional needs and performance targets.

Nearly half of all dairy calves raised in the U.S. are fed a diet of whole milk in the pre-weaned stage. The source of this nutrition is primarily hospital waste milk, salable milk or a combination of the two. While milk has been deemed “nature’s most perfect food,” and calves have been shown to perform very well on it, we are learning that there are ways we can optimize the consistency and nutritive value of milk fed to calves.

Walking down a row of hutches or pens, they always stand out. First to greet you, full of curiosity, and of course, their brown coats. Jersey calves are gaining popularity across dairy and calf-raising operations in many parts of the country, including where we work in Texas. Much like their Holstein counterparts, the first 60 days are critical to the future of their performance. However, there are important and unique breed characteristics raisers should keep in mind as they work with Jersey calves during these critical early life stages.