Against the backdrop of the Tuscarora mountains, a half-mile from the busy road into town, she’s out to the barn by 3:30 a.m., milking by 3:45 while herdsman Anthony Yeager feeds and scrapes.

Life is always changing. Embracing that truth is essential for personal growth. To help with this process, remember these three principles: You get out what you put in, mind over matter and just be.

Everything starts with a question. How do feed transitions impact rumen development? What protein and fat levels do calves need to reach their full potential?

Today, women are heavily involved in the dairy industry and support it in a variety of roles. Many thanks are credited to our foremothers for serving as role models and demonstrating to us their determination.

Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles about managing the maternity area and newborn calves using a team approach. Click here to read the first article "Putting more 'Ma' in your maternity: The cow's perspective".

When you hear the word “transition,” do you automatically think of your pre- and post-fresh cows? Most dairymen do, but there’s another important transition group that requires your attention. That group is made up of calves transitioning off milk and onto a diet made up of dry feeds.

Change. Not many people like it. In fact, there are hundreds of books, podcasts and seminars all dedicated to the topic of “embracing change.”

Myths – we’ve all heard them. Bulls hate red, salt helps water boil faster, you shouldn’t wake a sleepwalker, and on and on and on …

Recent research done at the University of Guelph identified over 26 percent of male calves had a significantly enlarged navel with heat, pain, moisture or malodorous discharge when examined at arrival to a veal facility.

Think about the healthiest cows in your herd. What defines them as your healthiest? Is it their older age? Is it the fact they’ve never had mastitis?