With the opportunity to capitalize on record-low native beef herd numbers and the growing demand for high-quality beef, dairy-beef crossbred cattle producers can benefit from taking a second look at their early life calf nutrition program.

“I think, done the right way and with proper management all the way through, these calves are better than the native beef,” said Dan Dorn.

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.

At Wichman Farms, automation doesn’t stop with the cows. In fact, it travels 200 feet to link a fresh supply of whole milk to the calf barn.

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.

Calf nutrition and care are paramount to the future success of a dairy operation. However, we often take a straightforward approach – only for growth and development – but do not realize the larger impact it can have on the calves' genetic potential and their ability to be optimal calves that will later become productive milk cows.

Calf hydration isn’t just for hot weather. A year-round plan for feeding water and electrolytes can help calves stay healthy and productive through all seasons and temperatures. Water is key to hydration and for calves, has major effects on starter intake, rumen development and overall health.

An automatic calf feeder is a great tool for many calf programs. As with any piece of equipment, management is a key contributor to the success or failure of your autofeeder.

If the wide array of mycotoxins present in our dairy feed can have such an extreme impact on cow health and production, then we can assume they can also impact the growth, performance and health of calves and heifers.