When we hear the phrase “challenges in the transition pen,” we often think about the lactating herd, paying particular attention to the transition from a dry, non-lactating animal to a highly productive lactating animal.

I have been fascinated with calf barn ventilation for more than a decade, to the point where I have made its study the focus of much of my professional career. Calf raisers around the world often have the same questions when it comes to ventilation, and this article will discuss the three most common calf barn ventilation questions I receive. 

It’s common knowledge that feeding adequate volumes of high-quality colostrum benefits the health and growth of the calf. It’s also known that calves that receive good-quality colostrum right after birth carry those benefits throughout their lives as heifers and even into the lactating herd.

Calves can cross-suck on each other not only when housed in pairs or groups, but also when housed individually with contact through pen dividers.

As I travel around the country and go from farm to farm, I see a good trend beginning to take hold as dairy producers are understanding the value of carrying extra heifer inventory.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? For newborn calves, their answer would most likely be immediate immunity.

The value of adequate colostrum intake to the health and well-being of calves cannot be overstated.

As more research is being done on calf health, it is being discovered that common calf management practices that introduce antibiotics during critical development periods might be doing more harm than good.