Houses. Relationships. Businesses. What do all three have in common? They all are built from a solid foundation, and calf hutches are no different.

The sun is shining, and winter is a distant memory. You may be eager to spend time in the field and catch up on tasks you couldn’t do all winter. But during this busy time, don’t forget how warmer weather is impacting your calves.

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

It’s true what they say: Hindsight is 20/20. But many post-project regrets can be avoided by drafting a plan up front. This statement is especially true when it comes to calf housing. Whether you’re starting new or making changes to an existing calf housing setup, a solid plan is critical to calf performance and labor efficiency for years to come.

While wooden hutches – consisting of a base, flooring and hutch system – are relatively inexpensive to build, they may not be the cheapest calf housing option available on the market today.

It’s official – summer is heading out, and fall is around the corner. With harvest, taking kids back to school, daily chores and a million other things, planning for winter calf housing might not be top of mind. However, making winter prep a priority will ensure you and your calves are ready to handle cold weather challenges.

The advent of genomics and recent research on the long-term impact of the pre-weaning phase have helped put calf management in the limelight. And calf facilities have seen major improvements as a result.