Just as solid structural pillars form a strong foundation for the barn, these seven pillars of calf raising are powerful steps to help build a solid foundation for the future milking herd.

When fed aggressively, beef-on-dairy calves are hard to differentiate from native beef cattle by an untrained eye; however, these calves tend to be plagued with a fairly high incidence of liver abscesses, and this occurrence was the basis for our investigation.

Seeing beef cow-calf pairs on pasture caused me to consider how we have raised dairy calves. Granted, most of our commercial dairy management systems don’t allow this kind of environment for the cow and her newborn calf, but what can be done to make our systems better?

Young calves are the future of most dairy herds, and their future production potential is directly tied to their growth and development pre-weaning. At birth, the rumen is non-functional, leaving the calf reliant on a liquid, milk-based diet.

The number one goal of a feeding program is to promote healthy development from birth to freshening. Additionally, we want to maximize each heifer’s growth and genetic potential to its fullest – while also promoting healthy hair coats, good muscle tone and ideal body condition – when it matters most, show days.

Iron status is a classic study point to the importance of mineral and vitamin nutrition for young calves. It has been reported approximately 20% of neonatal calves experience iron deficiency anemia.