This article from researchers from Cornell University and Germany describes the individual, seasonal and herd-level variability of colostrum production and summarizes the association between animal individual factors – such as parity, sex of the calf, calf birthweight, as well as indicators of the cow’s metabolic status – and the yield and composition of colostrum.

Young calves are the future of most dairy herds, and their future production potential is directly tied to their growth and development pre-weaning. At birth, the rumen is non-functional, leaving the calf reliant on a liquid, milk-based diet.

Calves are not just a cost; they are the investment in the future potential of your dairy herd. As the promising carriers of our best genetics, they represent the assurance of future profitability.

Many producers turn to a custom calf raiser because they want to offload heifer-raising challenges. You might have other reasons for sending calves away, such as saving forage and labor for the milking herd or the lack of updated calf facilities.

Giving calves a good start can be expensive. However, not investing in your calf operation can cost you in the parlor. Too many dairies chase after pennies of efficiency on the cow side but trip over dollars of missed opportunities in their calf program.

Beef-on-dairy calves are an investment. These calves should be treated just as well as a heifer calf that will be raised for the dairy. A poor-quality, unhealthy calf not only hurts your bottom line, it also jeopardizes your reputation as a quality calf supplier.

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.

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.