Getting these newborn calves warmed back up and eating are imperative to survival once calves have hit that critically low internal temperature (below 101ºF), but the methods by which producers can bring them back up to normal temperatures (101º to 103ºF) varies.
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University, referred to a study conducted by Robinson and Young with the University of Alberta in which warm-water baths were the most successful in bringing back severely cold-stressed calves compared to adding insulation or those exposed to heat lamps.
Citing success from a handful of local ranchers in Oklahoma, this method brought back calves to normal body temperature around an hour’s time in a 100ºF water bath with minimal metabolic effort.
While this is a popular method with the far northern regions of the country and into Canada, it is a labor-intensive method and requires the calf to be completely dry after the bath before returning to the cow.
For some producers, however, a 100ºF bath isn’t logistically feasible. Alternative options such as calf-warming hutches have gained popularity among dairy and beef producers. While there are numerous commercial options available, a quick search online yields many results for those considering building a heated box from scratch.
Most commercially available boxes have a one- to three-year warranty which, even for the products that are well built and feature good heating mechanics such as a UL-listed thermostat, the life of these boxes often don’t see 10 years with regular use.
“[Unfortunately], there is really no maintenance needed to extend the life,” Rob Smucker with Smucker Manufacturing, maker of Roy-L-Heat Animal Warmers, says.
Smucker points out that commercially available calf warmers such as the Roy-L-Heat will usually pay for themselves with the first couple of head saved. The key to longevity in these units, he says, is in the quality of the heater.
Like warm baths, these boxes may not always be an option in certain situations. Shelter from the weather, straw bedding, blankets or putting calves in the floorboard of the pickup has long proven helpful. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of creativity in a pinch to save that newborn during nasty winter weather. 
PHOTOS: Calf warming hutches. Photos courtesy of Smucker Manufacturing.
