We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
Raising replacement heifers is one of the most costly aspects of a dairy farm. Heifers don’t bring a return for two years or more until they enter the milking string.
If we look at the dairy industry, there are numerous approaches to calf rearing. While there is no one single, current-day approach that is best, there is one optimal way to rear calves we can learn much from. That optimal way of rearing calves is to leave the calf with her dam. This is the way the calf was designed to be raised and nurtured.
Ontario is one of the richest regions of the world in terms of access to fresh water. While water seems to be all around us and always available, the importance of water quality and its role in a young animal’s life is often neglected.
Want smarter cows? Try raising calves with social companions.
Previous work from the UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre demonstrated that calves raised in individual pens had more difficulty adapting to a group pen with five other calves after weaning than calves raised in pairs did.
The most efficient rate of growth a calf experiences is in the first month of life. Strong growth and good calf health is linked to improved performance of heifers with a trend toward earlier first breeding and increased milk yields.
You work hard to raise heifers so they can provide the next generation of productive cows in your milking herd. All that time and money invested in raising these girls pays off if she stays past her first lactation.
Digestive and metabolic upsets are just some of the challenges in pre-weaned calf rearing. Rumen drinking is a condition that occurs when milk is ingested into the rumen in large quantities.
RSS
