The most successful calf programs begin with this end objective in mind: healthy, productive animals ready to enter the milking string in a timely fashion.

A prominent U.S. presidential campaign issue, President Donald Trump frequently identified the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as an economic drain on the U.S. economy. Trump administration officials have started the clock on renegotiating the trade agreement, beginning as early as mid-August.

Summer is here, and with 2017 predicted to be warmer than normal, heat stress management on dairy farms should be a top priority. However, heat stress doesn’t just apply to cows. All livestock experience heat stress in similar ways.

As the saying goes, good things come in small packages. This is especially true when it comes to raising Jersey calves. Just because they are small in stature doesn’t mean we should short-change Jersey calves on nutritional intake.

Have you ever found yourself reading a milk replacer tag and trying to understand what additives are included, what those additives do and whether or not they are right for your calf program?

Naturally occurring turnover in dairy herd population necessitates the availability of a supply of high-quality replacement animals to maintain herd population and milk flow. For a majority of dairy operations across the country, this involves inclusion of a replacement-rearing program into the business operation.

Heat stress is a major concern for calves. Research has proven calves suffer from heat stress in much the same way cows do. A calf’s temperature threshold can be easily reached during summer months.

In 1975, I learned a valuable lesson in newborn calf health. It was the first spring after my father passed away, and I was solely in charge of calving our beef herd in northern Minnesota.

For the owners of Rosy-Lane Holsteins, healthy cows are the heart of a profitable dairy operation.

I do not need to convince dairymen that milk is the most nutritionally complete food source, but I would like to make the point here that milk does not always provide adequate supplies of vitamins and minerals to the young calf.