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A family with energetic boys raised cattle on a hobby farm. A well-intentioned neighbor, with decades of experience in cattle production, was critical of the “results” he saw and often shared his wisdom. One evening, as the neighbor chastised the father, the mother stepped in and said, “You don’t seem to understand. We’re not really raising cattle on this farm. We’re raising boys!”
As product and milk markets have climbed, producers are beginning to regain some sense of hope after being hit by the impact of what has become the worst drought in our lifetime. I am asked constantly whether this price move can last and, if so, how long.
The quick response, of course, is that neither I, nor anyone else, have any absolute answers to those questions. There are some things worth considering, however, that can help frame our bias going forward. Most exciting among these things is the growing world appetite for dairy products.
Sixty years ago, Dr. Virginia Apgar developed a simple method to evaluate the well-being of a newborn child at birth. Used worldwide, this assessment is performed within minutes of birth using nothing more than a stethoscope and a clock.
Babies are given an APGAR score from 0 to 10, which indicates the child’s initial health status and whether or not medical attention is necessary.
Today, researchers at the University of Guelph have created a similar assessment to evaluate the health of a newborn calf.
The results of the 2011 Dairy Heifer Raiser Survey, conducted by the National Animal Health Monitoring System, became publicly available in October 2012.
Progressive Dairyman staff will be studying the report in depth and inviting industry experts to comment on trends and developments.
In the meantime, find out what NAHMS researchers and our staff found most interesting.
It is no secret dairy producers don’t like dealing with sick calves. They are young, vulnerable and treatment can be expensive. Diarrhea, or what is commonly referred to as scours, continues to be the top challenge we face with preweaned calves.
Preventing calfhood diarrhea should always be our first priority, but an effective preventive strategy also includes knowing when to utilize treatment.
For this, producers need to understand the causes, symptoms and treatment options for young calves. As always, work with your herd’s veterinarian to develop a treatment protocol for calves with diarrhea.
This article was #18 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2013. It was published in the Nov. 21, 2012 print issue. Click here for the full list of the Top 25.
This roundtable, the final in a three-part series, featured five Midwest producers using automatic calf feeders. The producers described factors they considered, challenges they had with installation and lessons learned with the feeders.
We asked the producers: Q. If you were given unlimited resources (time, labor, money, land, etc.), what is one change you would make to your calf-raising program and why?
Management strategy defines the success of calf programs. Calves are challenged from birth with an immature immune system, and at the same time they are programmed to grow quickly.
A large part of managing young calves is their feeding program. It is an important first step to ensure that the milk replacer has been formulated with good-quality milk ingredients for optimal digestion and growth. However, other ingredients in the form of additives can also be used as part of the milk replacer program to strengthen calf health and growth.
Like any newborn, calves need to be nurtured early so they can thrive and compete later in life. Her digestive system at birth is designed for milk. She is frequently challenged with digestive sicknesses in her first two weeks of life – followed by respiratory sicknesses in her second and third month of life.
Frequently, she is raised in naturally ventilated, unheated or uncooled housing. Often, she is moved from individual housing to large groups of 20 to 100 calves soon after weaning and she needs to be able to compete. Between birth and weaning she must transform her digestive system and nutrient metabolism almost 180 degrees to use dry feeds. This includes developing a functional rumen.
Developing a membership offering of value to growers of all sizes was a central topic of discussion during a recent DCHA Board of Directors strategic planning meeting held during World Dairy Expo.
One key outcome of the meeting was a revised mission statement: To assist member calf, heifer and dairy/beef producers in improving their herd health and profitability by providing leading-edge Gold Standards and “best practices” information as well as industry-leading networking opportunities.
As producers experience the losses of 2012, I hear many talking about exploring opportunities to maximize their production and be more cost-effective.
As we approach the winter season, many question how successful are their calf-raising programs. Raising calves in the winter is always a big challenge, for both the animals and the people who work with them.
Now is a good time to evaluate your program. Identifying areas of success as well as areas that need improvement – and what changes and adjustments need to be made – will result in a more successful calf-raising program this winter.
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