Heifer Raising - Articles - Page 3

5 things to stop doing if you want to get serious about your calf program

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.

October 3, 2022

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

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.

6 metrics to manage calves in autofeeder systems

Colostrum, feed plans, consumption, drinking speeds, alarms and overall trends are key things to monitor to capitalize on the data and other insights autofeeders can provide.

August 24, 2022

Ann Hoskins

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.

Maximizing your return on investment: Heifers

Knowing the herd’s MBW is important for meeting AFC goals, as it is a key component for building an effective heifer-rearing program that sets animals up for success at every stage.

July 19, 2022

Donna Benschop and Matt Groen

“I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.” You might be wondering why an article on heifer raising is starting off with lyrics from a popular Taylor Swift song, but that line from her 2013 song describes a lot of themes around setting goals and optimizing heifer raising.

Group housing for pre-weaned calves: Research on health outcomes

May 19, 2022

Betsy Karle

Research is generally mixed on the feasibility of group housing for pre-weaned calves, especially relative to calf health.

Considerations for a heifer lung-scanning program

December 13, 2021

Tabby Steckler Hurst and Conor McCabe

Thousands of dollars are invested in every heifer from the point of birth to her first calving. With this in mind, a 100-cow dairy will invest nearly $112,000 a year, and a 1,000-cow dairy will put down over a million dollars.

Old heifer-raising ideals may not be the way of the future

October 26, 2021

Luke Miller

As I travel around the country and go from farm to farm, I see a good trend beginning to take hold as dairy producers are understanding the value of carrying extra heifer inventory.

Improve your grades: Transfer of passive immunity is no longer pass or fail

September 13, 2021

Drew A. Vermeire

The value of adequate colostrum intake to the health and well-being of calves cannot be overstated.

‘Are they big enough?’: Monitoring dairy heifer growth and development

July 12, 2021

Adriana Toste

Just as more is less, bigger is not always better when it comes to the growth and development of dairy heifers. The nature and growth of dairy cattle has vastly changed from decade to decade, and as traits have been genomically bred out of cattle, often the idea of “bigger equals better,” has become a misjudged trend.

The benefits of supplementing your calf with colostrum – supplement or replacer?

May 21, 2021

Elizabeth Racine

When it comes to ensuring the future success of a dairy operation, raising good replacement animals is essential. One of the most crucial steps in this process is colostrum management.