CALVES & HEIFERS

Several different forms of animal monitoring equipment have been developed and adopted by dairy producers for use in lactating animals. Some of these same technologies have been put to use in other areas around the farm and it begs the question, “Does video surveillance have a place in the calf barn?”

With hundreds of visits to all sizes and types of dairy farms under their belts, a panel of calf care specialists recently addressed the question, “What is your opinion of automatic calf feeders?”

At Anderson Farms (prefix Silverstream Holsteins) in Howick, Quebec, nothing is left to chance when it comes to herd management. They milk 100 cows and own 1,100 acres of land, which includes 4,600 maple trees. Four of their bulls are also in A.I.

Due to the perception of our climate in Canada, when temperature stress is discussed, it’s usually in the context of cold stress.

Spring and fall weather conditions often present calf raisers with the challenge of fluctuating temperatures. The rapid and ongoing transition from warm days to cold nights creates a temperature roller coaster that can increase calfhood respiratory disease rates.

Every day, we make hundreds of decisions. Some are big, while some appear minor and without a significant future impact. Colostrum handling is one of those processes that falsely appears to only have short-term consequences.