Have you ever wondered why calves don’t grow as well in the winter as they do at other times of the year? Understanding some basic concepts on how colder temperatures impact calf growth will help you counteract the effects of winter temperatures and keep those calves gaining.

Feeding robot herds does not have to be intimidating. The cows still receive all the nutrients they need. However, instead of all of the nutrients being in the TMR, some are fed in the partial mixed ration (PMR), which consists of all the forages and some protein and energy sources at the feedbunk.

Mixing milk powder in water doesn’t seem like a complicated task, but mixing properly is one of the most important things you can do for your calves. Milk replacer tags usually say to mix a specific number of ounces of powder with a specific volume of water. The confusion arises in interpretation of those simple instructions.

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.

Snow will soon blanket many areas of the country, and temperatures will dip below freezing if they haven’t already. Use these practical tips to make sure your calves are ready for the cold.

What sets farms with great calf health apart from those that struggle to get calves started? Sanitation. It is a bigger investment of time than money and is certainly near the top of the list of important criteria for getting calves off to a good start.

Editor’s note: This article is part one in a two-part series on what to look for during a calf pen walk-through. Part two: Calf hutch walk-throughs: What you need to look for. Many times when I’m walking calves on a farm, an employee will ask, “So, what are you looking at anyway?”