Calves & Heifers

Calfhood pneumonia can be frustrating to deal with. Understanding where the problem originates is the first step in creating a plan to combat it. Most cases of calfhood pneumonia can be placed into one of two broad categories: environmental causes and contagious causes.

The three critical periods in a calf’s life are as follows: the calf’s birth (the cow’s condition, degree of calving difficulty, cleanliness of the cow and colostrum management), the first two weeks of life (when most deaths occur) and the two weeks before and after weaning.This article will address the first two critical periods, and the third critical period will be addressed in a future article.

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.

Harmful pathogens lurk everywhere on a dairy. Taking a whole-farm approach to pathogen reduction can break the cycle of infection and re-infection that may prevent your herd from performing at its best.

Imagine if waste milk came with a product label that listed nutrient values and fat, protein and lactose concentrations. You’d know exactly what calves take in each day without testing equipment. A majority of waste milk doesn’t contain all the essential nutrients calves need. But, without a nutrition label or sophisticated testing equipment, it’s hard to tell if you’re giving calves what they need. And, what happens when nutrient levels aren’t up to par?

When making decisions on feed and management for calves and heifers, it’s easy to choose the cheapest option. However, we need to view these costs as an investment and think about how the decisions we make now will affect future outcomes.