Heifer Raising

Small calves, big gains: Maximizing average daily gain in replacement calves

maxime_tarte@cargill.com — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

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.

In one hour, the cascade effect begins

mwustenberg@immucell.com — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Getting the dollar for your buck: Managing first-lactation heifers from the first test

emolgat@lactanet.ca — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Dairy enterprises invest considerable resources to raise replacements. To capture the opportunities that raising programs offer to farm profitability, dairy operations should not only make efforts to control raising expenses but also to ensure the return of their investment by evaluating the resulting quality of their replacements.

Heat stress in heifers: Causes, effects and management

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Heat stress is a challenge many dairy operations face, particularly during the summer and fall months. When temperatures rise and humidity increases, livestock are forced to adapt to try to cope with the heat. This can lead to a wide range of health and productivity issues.

Managing replacement costs

lkruse@selectsires.com — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

I have had the opportunity to analyze dairy software files from dairy operations across many states in the U.S., and I still see great opportunities to reduce herd turnover costs within many dairy operations. Here are a few areas to consider as you look at how to plan for your future replacement costs.

Best practices for managing heifer reproduction

pweber@genex.coop — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Your heifers are the future of your herd, and getting them to an ideal weight at the proper age is important to the future success of your business. Following simple protocols to get them bred at the ideal time will pay significant future dividends.

Calves can vote too: Preferences for hutch ventilation during summer

jvanos@wisc.edu — Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

A potential consequence of the dual hutch housing system is that when calves choose to share a hutch, this could increase the risk of heat stress during warm weather. We conducted a study at the University of Wisconsin – Madison to see if this concern is warranted and to measure how calves use hutch ventilation.

Counter the complexity of scours with a focused effort

bbrockmann@immucell.com — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

By definition, scours is complex: a complex clinical symptom associated with multifactorial diseases that prevent the intestine from absorbing fluids and nutrients. Don’t throw up your hands and assume there is only so much you can do.

Maximize the effectiveness of calf barn ventilation with computerized calculations

drnele@crystalcreeknatural.com — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

In this article, we investigate how advanced airflow software, commonly referred to as computational fluid dynamics or CFD, and 3D visualization software can help when planning a new calf facility.

Completion rate and herd longevity: Making informed decisions on culling heifer calves

mphilibeck@immucell.com — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

While it may be tempting to raise every heifer calf, especially when replacement rates are high, it is essential to your profitability to identify when and why culling is necessary.

Calf scours 101: Hold back your syringe

rodrigogarcia@techmixglobal.com — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Combating the pathogen that causes scours, providing for the calf's physiological demands (hydration, energy and acid/base balance) and restoring intestinal health are the three main objectives of calf scours therapy.

Cow longevity is a key to dairy profitability

matt_groen@cargill.com — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:09:29 -0500

Looking at return over feed numbers is an excellent way to get a quick snapshot of how a dairy farm is performing from a production and cost standpoint, however it doesn’t account for and is not impacted by duration of cows in the herd.

Putting fun and efficiency into calf raising

bvincent@immucell.com — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Many producers turn to a custom calf raiser because they want to offload heifer-raising challenges. You might have other reasons for sending calves away, such as saving forage and labor for the milking herd or the lack of updated calf facilities.

Invest in the perfect calf

djdominguez@immucell.com — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Giving calves a good start can be expensive. However, not investing in your calf operation can cost you in the parlor. Too many dairies chase after pennies of efficiency on the cow side but trip over dollars of missed opportunities in their calf program.

Completing a calf hygiene audit

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

If you are consistently having problems with your calves, consider having a third party complete a calf hygiene audit and ask about using an ATP meter.

Don’t lose your future genetics to calf scours

brian.miller5@merck.com — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 18:52:27 -0400

Due to improvements in reproductive efficiencies, dairies can now be more selective in raising future herd replacements. This elevates the importance of reducing preventable diseases such as scours or diarrhea in newborn calves.

What is the right number of heifers to raise?

jim.moriarty@compeer.com — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

If we go back 10-plus years, most dairy farms bred all their cows and heifers for dairy calves and raised all heifer calves as dairy herd replacements.

Scours: When and how it hits the fan

ccarter@immucell.com — Tue, 09 May 2023 08:22:58 -0400

When I visit a farm, my favorite question to ask is, “What part of the dairy you are most proud of?” Typically, the answers include some sort of cow performance measurements, such as milk production, pregnancy rates or genomics.

Platinum heifers won’t be dropouts

gstaley@diamondv.com — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

It’s easy to become impatient and want to breed heifers early to get them into the lactating herd and have them start paying off their debts as soon as possible.

Turn platinum heifers into golden girls

gstaley@diamondv.com — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 08:34:31 -0400

Against the backdrop of ongoing water shortages and high feed costs, there are compelling reasons to increase the productive life of dairy herds.

5 steps to aid in dairy-beef crossbred growth and performance

tjwistuba@landolakes.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Treating beef-on-dairy calves with the proper care can earn you a few extra bucks at the sale barn. Read how to get the most out of your investment here.

Setting calves up for a long-term, successful immune system

emontemagni@endovacanimalhealth.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 09:22:25 -0500

Managing dairy calves is truly an art form. The first few weeks of a calf’s life are imperative to how productive that calf will be as an adult, from increased milk during its first lactation to achieving its full genetic potential.

Choosing the best employees to work with calves: It’s not for everyone

mphilibeck@immucell.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 17:51:06 -0500

Raising calves isn’t easy. Good calf raisers need a solid understanding of best calf protocols, treatment and diseases or be willing and able to learn. You know that the job requires a certain skillset and nurturing touch that not many possess.

Leave the needle in the haystack: Rehydrate with an oral electrolyte

nathanupah@techmixglobal.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

There are many clichés to represent the need for the right tool to do the job. Perhaps the best one that both relates to the subject at hand, as well as in a practical application, is “don’t bring a water pistol to fight a fire.”

Preparing heifers to travel

sarah.stocks@novusint.com — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 12:11:46 -0500

Custom calf ranches and heifer growers are becoming more common as dairy farmers look to alleviate pressure with feed and labor. According to the 2014 NAHMS, approximately 35% of heifers in the U.S. are raised at locations off the farm where they were born.

Helping heifers become healthy mothers

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 17:40:47 -0400

Calving is a stressful time for all cattle but especially for heifers. The entire experience is new to them and, on top of that, most heifers haven’t reached mature weight by the time they calve.

5 things to stop doing if you want to get serious about your calf program

bbrockmann@immucell.com — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 08:57:46 -0400

While a “good enough” mindset might work in some areas, it does not work in the calf program, where clear protocols are key to achieving excellence.

6 metrics to manage calves in autofeeder systems

ahoskins@vitaplus.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 14:42:16 -0400

Maximizing the value of automated calf feeders goes far beyond putting together a feeding plan and pushing calves to the feeder. Autofeeders can provide helpful insight into daily calf management as well as overall trends of the calf feeding program.

Maximizing your return on investment: Heifers

matt_groen@cargill.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 19:45:40 -0400

“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.” You might be wondering why an article on heifer raising is starting off with lyrics from a popular Taylor Swift song, but that line from her 2013 song describes a lot of themes around setting goals and optimizing heifer raising.

Group housing for pre-weaned calves: Research on health outcomes

bmkarle@ucanr.edu — Thu, 19 May 2022 16:32:38 -0400

Research is generally mixed on the feasibility of group housing for pre-weaned calves, especially relative to calf health.