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Four calf care experts came together to provide practical information for dairy producers to further enhance their calf- and heifer-raising programs during a panel presentation on April 6 at the Canadian Dairy XPO in Stratford, Ontario.
Recently, it has become common practice to feed calves using an automatic milk feeder, which offers the ability to feed higher volumes of milk. Despite this prevalence, many questions about automatic feeding practices remain unanswered.
When we talk about calf barn ventilation, there are as many ventilation options out there as there are calf facilities. Many people promote positive-pressure tube ventilation, while others suggest tunnel or cross ventilation, and some claim that outdoor calf hutches are still the best way to go.
Dairy producers often use data to make informed decisions on the milking herd. This information can be generated through the producer organization website, on-farm recording software and services.
Changing seasons and challenging seasonal extremes (cold, heat and humidity) add extra challenges for a young calf, and the caregiver’s management must be dynamic in order to provide optimal care.
Finding calves early in the course of disease and applying the appropriate intervention is imperative to minimize the consequences associated with common calfhood conditions.
In our harsh Canadian climate, cold weather can take its toll on everyone, including calves. Whether your calves are inside or outside, cold weather is very stressful for them. Here are some calf management tips for cold weather.
It is now common to find butyrate in commercial milk replacers and solid feeds for calves. However, the impact it has on the calf varies depending on the delivery method and the source of dietary butyrate being used.
In Canadian dairy herds, the average stillbirth rate is 8 percent, but this varies between 0 and 17 percent across herds; the best 25 percent of these herds could be used as home-grown producer benchmarks for the industry.
Most bull calves will never become a lasting benefit to a dairy herd and, as such, may not always receive the same level of care heifer calves do. Harmonizing your calf-rearing programs will yield positive results for all calves and your bottom line.
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