In early 2015, a disease outbreak affected people in Wisconsin and several other states. Of those sickened, nearly half were young children and most reported direct contact with cattle, primarily dairy calves.

That newborn calf looks pretty helpless nestled down in that clean, fresh straw. But don’t let looks deceive. She’s a powerhouse of genetics and opportunity just waiting to demonstrate her potential.

In recent years, dairy producers and industry experts have put more emphasis on providing dairy calves with high-quality, timely colostrum to maximize passive transfer of immunity.

Due to improvements in reproductive efficiencies, dairies can now be more selective in raising future herd replacements. This elevates the importance of reducing preventable diseases such as scours or diarrhea in newborn calves.

Mycoplasma bovis is a bacterium lacking a cell wall, which causes it to be resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin, ampicillin, cephalosporins). Its unique metabolism also makes it resistant to sulpha drugs.

Beef-on-dairy calves are an investment. These calves should be treated just as well as a heifer calf that will be raised for the dairy. A poor-quality, unhealthy calf not only hurts your bottom line, it also jeopardizes your reputation as a quality calf supplier.

When I visit a farm, my favorite question to ask is, “What part of the dairy you are most proud of?” Typically, the answers include some sort of cow performance measurements, such as milk production, pregnancy rates or genomics.

Calf raising is an area where producers may be tempted to cut corners in an effort to save money. Incorporating a least-cost mentality when raising calves often results in calves that are more susceptible to developing health complications.

It’s easy to become impatient and want to breed heifers early to get them into the lactating herd and have them start paying off their debts as soon as possible.