CALVES & HEIFERS

There are many topics to discuss when managing heifer inventory. Producers give careful thought to feed and labour costs, reproduction, semen strategies, etc. – the list can go on and on.

Have you ever bought a new tractor and wished you would have recorded all the little things the dealer rep explained and showed to you? Calf raisers might very well have the same experience when installing autofeeders.

Dairy herd management is very data driven with exceptional progress made in the use of data from areas such as feeding, parlour operation, milk production and herd health to make timely decisions influencing dairy profitability.

Fat is an energy-dense nutrient that is a major component in calf milk replacers (MRs) and dry feeds. Over the last 15-plus years, there have been an array of studies looking at MR formulas with different crude-protein-to-fat ratios.

Many people know the length of the daily photoperiod signals chickens and other birds to start or stop laying eggs. People are surprised to learn that photoperiod length causes sheep and horses to begin or end their reproductive cycles, and they are even more surprised to learn that photoperiod has profound effects on cattle, too.

Establishing a healthy gut microbiome from the beginning of a calf’s life can have a lasting impact on her success. A properly developed gut can help improve lifetime feed efficiency and support overall calf health.