Proper calf care is crucial for successful animal management. These articles about calf care meet the National Dairy FARM Animal Care Program’s continuing education requirement.
There are three critical periods for dairy calves. The first is around calving and includes the cow, the environment, and the colostrum feeding and management
The author is an associate editor for Hoard’s Dairyman. Preventing calf disease like scours starts before calving and becomes more crucial in the first days of life
DAIRY producers are aware of the importance of feeding quality colostrum within the first two hours of birth (and surely within six hours). Colostrum provides immunity as antibodies
My predecessor started the concept of herd health checks in our area over 50 years ago. Cows and heifers were checked for their reproductive status on a schedule
when a pendulum swings out farther in one direction than normal, it may swing back too far in the other direction. A correction can take some time later on
A silver bullet is a simple and seemingly magical solution to a complicated problem. Many would maintain that they exist only in fiction, but colostrum is a real life example
Feeding high-quality colostrum is recognized as a critical factor to raising healthy calves. In addition to supplying important immunological components, colostrum is rich in nutrients, hormones, and and...
At the 2006 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) conference in Minneapolis, a speaker presented some unique findings from their human milk studies
With so much attention placed on animal welfare, the perspective of farmers is often overlooked, even though they are the ones who provide care to animals daily and have the greatest impact on animal welfare
People who purchase calves from other farms to raise put a lot of trust in the source farm. The care those calves receive before and immediately after birth can make a big difference in how successful...
It unfortunately doesn’t take much for a bright and bouncy dairy calf to become sick. Early intervention can often turn the calf back around, but even a simple illness may leave a lasting impact
Electrolytes are often just the ticket calves need to get through a bout of diarrhea. Veterinarian Amelia Woolums recommends administering electrolytes as soon as diarrhea is identified to prevent dehydration,...
In the first weeks of in life, dairy animals are vulnerable to disease, building strength to grow, and learning how to use and interact with their environment