Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

Counter the complexity of scours with a focused effort

While scours is a complex issue, a focused effort to provide calves with adequate antibodies, a clean environment and minimal exposure to older animals can greatly decrease a calf’s chances of falling victim to scours.

March 15, 2024

By definition, scours is complex: a complex clinical symptom associated with multifactorial diseases that prevent the intestine from absorbing fluids and nutrients. Don’t throw up your hands and assume there is only so much you can do.

Améliorez votre programme de veaux en cessant de faire ces 5 choses

Si un état d’esprit « acceptable » peut fonctionner dans certains domaines, il ne fonctionne pas dans le programme pour les veaux, où des protocoles clairs sont essentiels pour atteindre l’excellence.

May 19, 2023

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

Trop souvent, j’observe une approche du programme d’élevage de veaux à la « ce qui est fait est mieux que ce qui est parfait ». Alors que notre industrie laitière devient de plus en plus compétitive, nous devrions envisager de remettre en question cet état d’esprit.

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.

Colostrum temperature: Not too hot, not too cold, just right

February 3, 2022

Dale Miller and Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

Remember the children’s story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” in which a young girl tastes three different bowls of porridge and discovers she doesn’t like it too hot or too cold but at just the right temperature? When it comes to preferences, calves and Goldilocks share something in common.

‘Y’ the best vaccine for scours may not be a vaccine

October 21, 2021

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose? For newborn calves, their answer would most likely be immediate immunity.

4 producers share their newborn calf care protocols

January 25, 2016

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

What does your newborn calf protocol look like? How has it evolved over time? What circumstances require extra attention for your calves? What tips would you give other producers?

Is colostrum inactivating your scours prevention program?

November 24, 2014

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

It could be argued that newborn calf care protocols are more important than anything else you do on the farm. The future of your herd stands on four wobbly little legs and looks to you to help get it off to the right start.

What is scours costing your operation?

May 6, 2014

Bobbi Kunde Brockmann

When you look at the rising cost of replacement heifers, keeping calves healthy and productive before and after arrival is critical to the dairy’s bottom line. Too many calves die from scours each year, which is an expensive problem for dairy producers. According to the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy 2007 study, diarrhea and other digestive problems accounted for more than 56 percent of pre-weaned heifer deaths.