I graduated college thinking I had learned everything I would need to know to be successful in a career in animal science. My first job as a calf-raising manager on a large calf ranch showed me that was far from the truth. I’m not saying college didn’t prepare me. It’s that I never would have expected to fail as much as I did.

With current milk prices, dairy farmers are trying to lower costs, while optimizing their return opportunities. With the average cost of raising a dairy replacement heifer at over $2,500, according to a 2019 Cornell Cooperative Extension survey, heifer inventory management and raising the right replacements is a critical part of that plan.

In the ever-evolving landscape of calf rearing, maintaining a consistent approach is key to ensuring the health and productivity of your herd. Just as human babies thrive on routine, calves benefit from a structured feeding schedule and care regimen. 

Productive life can be like a New Year’s resolution. It sounds like a good idea, but often it doesn’t come true. Increasing the productive life of dairy herds needs to be a priority for the dairy industry.

The number one goal of a feeding program is to promote healthy development from birth to freshening. Additionally, we want to maximize each heifer’s growth and genetic potential to its fullest – while also promoting healthy hair coats, good muscle tone and ideal body condition – when it matters most, show days.

In the realm of calf raising, the adage holds true: "You can't manage what you can't measure." From birth to weaning, a variety of tests and measurements can help you evaluate the success of your calf-raising protocols, provide insights into calf health and highlight areas for improvement.

As the newest member of my company’s youngstock nutrition team and the most recent returning member to my family dairy, I value the efforts taken by my supervisors to identify and apply my skills and strengths effectively to get the job done.

Long-day lighting for heifers follows the same recommendations as lactating cows. The goal is to provide constant and evenly distributed light levels for a period of 16 to 18 hours of light and six to eight hours of darkness in the barn.