Raising healthy replacement heifers must begin with a solid calf-raising program. A strong heifer- raising program must follow so that heifers are allowed to reach their full growth potential. Both time periods are critical to the optimal health and growth and efficient, lifetime productivity of a heifer. The primary goal of any heifer- raising program should be to get the heifer in the milking string sooner. Adjustments made to a heifer-raising program have the potential to put more milk in the tank and put it in the tank sooner, thereby maximizing the economic benefits of a heifer program. Management decisions between the birth of the calf and the birth of her calf can have a positive impact on the net value realized over a heifer’s production life. The largest factors affecting a heifer’s economic value are the age she first conceived and her bodyweight and frame size at the time she freshens.

As the weather warms up, flies return to dairy farms with a vengeance, much to the annoyance of cattle and humans alike. Young dairy calves are especially vulnerable because their hutches or pens can be breeding grounds for flies. When calves are bothered by flies, they’re not eating. And if they’re not eating, they’re not growing. Irritation and disease Flies are responsible for carrying and transmitting bacterial and viral agents by flying from calf to calf. Pinkeye is one of the infections that calves can develop as a result. This irritating infection negatively can impact the production and overall health of dairy animals, especially vulnerable calves.

A goal for calf raisers, which has been endorsed by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, is for calves to double their birth weight by 60 days of age. During this time, young herd replacements should also add 4 to 5 inches of height to their structural growth. To achieve these benchmarks, calf raisers will need to feed a full potential nutrition program, including a 28 percent protein milk replacer, along with a 22 percent protein, highly palatable calf starter.

Let’s start out our conversation about this topic by reminding ourselves that calves thrive on consistency. One element of this consistent care is their milk replacer. How do we arrange our work to produce high-quality consistent milk replacer every feeding, every day? Follow the manufacturer’s instructions Each manufacturer has options for both ingredients and processes when making milk replacer. Depending on the choices that are made by the manufacturer, an individual milk replacer will have relatively unique mixing requirements to achieve the best quality reconstituted product.

Colostrum management is a frequent topic of discussion in animal husbandry, but less attention has been given to colostrogenesis – the formation and concentration of colostrum in the cow. The importance of antibodies in the prevention of disease in the first weeks of life is well documented in most species. Calves, however, are born without any significant level of antibody protection because there is no exchange of antibodies from cow to calf through the bloodstream prior to birth. The calf can only access these life-saving antibodies and other important immune factors through the ingestion of colostrum in the first few hours after birth.

Whether you raise calves for your own dairy or for others, raising calves well is crucial to the success of your operation. The aspects of nutrition, health and economics are not only vital, but are interrelated. One way to maximize all three of these aspects is to raise the bar and aim for better performance. Colostrum Colostrum is critically important in the first hours of a calf’s life. Many experts recommend feeding calves good quality colostrum at the rate of at least 12 percent of their bodyweight within one hour of birth.

In the last decade, better feed efficiency, optimal growth and higher future milk production have been the sought-after goals in calf nutrition. Recent on-farm nutrition trials are beginning to demonstrate the effects of a higher plane of nutrition within the first 12 weeks of life.

Paying attention to the calf from the start can be the best dairy practice when thinking about the future of your operation. After calving, it is time to route that time and attention towards the health of the baby calf. Once a calf is born, they often do not get enough attention, end up getting sick, grow poorly or even die. Losing a Holstein heifer calf can cost $300, which during this current economic climate can leave some serious implications on the profitability of any dairy operation.