When milk prices are low and feed costs are high, it’s not surprising that most dairy producers’ day-to-day priorities focus on management areas that directly impact short-term cash flow.

When the newborn dairy calf is immediately taken from its mother, there is a break of passive immunity that can compromise optimum immune system development.

The health of replacement animals is an important component of total herd profitability.

The success of colostrum feeding to calves is built on four critical components:

Laying the groundwork is an important part of any successful project. For growing young calves, the groundwork involves proper growth and development of the rumen. And no other feedstuff plays a larger role in rumen development than calf starter.

Healthy, productive, low maintenance cows that breed back quickly are the cows that generate the most return on investment. One key to developing these cows begins before they enter or re-enter the milking herd with proper calving management.

Today’s milk price environment has everyone looking to reduce expenditures and improve efficiency. We’re constantly challenged to offer suggestions for calf and heifer nutrition programs.

Feeding and management practices for dairy calves directly impact not only their survival, but just as importantly, their future milk production. Recent studies which have followed calves through their first lactation have shown a positive relationship between early-life nutrient intake and first-lactation milk production.

Depending on where your dairy is located this may be a hot weather season for you. It is always challenging to maintain good gains under these weather conditions. What is “hot” weather for calves? Thermoneutral conditions for young calves cannot be expressed as one fixed temperature value.

Several dangerous diseases can be transferred from dam to calf through infected colostrum, Johne’s disease being the most notable. However diseases caused by Mycoplasma species (Myco), including mastitis, are another group of infections transferred through colostrum. Myco diseases can be sinister, difficult to detect and economically devastating.