If bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a challenge on your dairy, you’re not alone. BRD remains the number two killer of pre-weaned calves and is the primary cause of death in weaned calves.

If the dam has a chance to build high antibody levels before calving, she can pass this temporary immunity to her calf.

Seriez-vous surpris d’apprendre qu’une différence majeure entre la réussite et l’échec de l’élevage des veaux réside dans l’attitude des personnes qui en prennent soin?

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.

Adequate colostrum; a dry, clean environment; and effective navel care are essential to setting dairy-beef calves up for success. Supplying healthy calves can help farms stay competitive in today’s market.

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.

Morbidity and mortality in cattle haven’t improved over time, even though more vaccines are available, educational materials are easier to find and the industry has provided incentives to improve health with value-added programs.

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.