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.

To me, calf raising is a continuous journey of learning, hands-on experiences and skill development. That said, the key is to stay focused and avoid overthinking or overcomplicating the process.

In an increasingly demanding dairy production environment, the performance of replacement heifers is a major factor for ensuring herd profitability and sustainability. A solid rearing program goes beyond genetics – it starts with measuring current growth results.

Pricing of feeder calves is based on weight as well as their expected future performance. Feedlot owners and managers are tracing superior as well as inferior animals to the previous owners, and future bids depend on animal quality.

Literally, the first hour of birth sets the stage for a calf’s life. After those 60 minutes, a calf climbs aboard one of three tracks.

In reviewing large commercial datasets, experts are seeing certain patterns beginning to emerge – particularly as it relates to a cow’s ability to stay in the herd. These trends are important to be aware of to identify challenges as well as opportunities.

Playing markets and feeding calves without the foundation of a program is like taking the family on a road trip without planning your destination, fuel stops, alternate routes or snacks for the kids.

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.