Calf & Heifer Adviser

MONDAY, Nov. 9, 2009

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			Welcome to Calf & Heifer Adviser, published by Dairy Herd Management^® magazine. Calf and Heifer Adviser and its core sponsors are committed to providing you with the information you need to make informed and timely business decisions.

NUTRITION NOTES

More is not always better
When it comes to pasteurizing waste milk, if a certain temperature is good at killing bacteria, you might think that a higher temperature would do a better job. Unfortunately, pasteurizing milk at the wrong temperature could decrease the nutritional value of milk and impact the health of your calves. Read more details.

Tips to manage colostrum
Colostrum-management expert Sandra Godden, dairy researcher at the University of Minnesota, has issued a newly revised set of colostrum-management tips. Read Godden's recommendations.

More Nutrition Notes

MARKET MONITOR

Staying steady
Heifer prices for the first week of November were steady to lower compared to October, says Greg Scheer, dairy analyst with Doane Advisory Services in St. Louis. High-end springing heifers topped out at $1,400 in the Wisconsin and Pennsylvania auctions. Heifer calf prices were little changed from the previous month, topping out at $240 in Stratford, Wis.

(See the table below)

	Springing heifers		Heifer calves
Location (sale date)	Supreme/top grade	Approved/medium grade	90-120 pounds
Escalon, Calif. (11/4/09)	$1,000-$1,350	$700-$900	NR
Stratford, Wis . (11/3/09)	$1,100-$1,400	$800-$1,050	$50-$240
Sulphur Springs, Texas (11/2/09)	$800-$1,335	$600-$800	$40-$210
New Holland, Pa. (11/4/09)	$1,325-$1,400	$1,225-$1,325	NR

More Market Monitor

			HEALTH WATCH
		Scours caused by variety of pathogens One of the reasons why calf scours is such a challenging disease for producers is that it can be caused by a combination of two or more pathogens. Read more. Add colostrum to milk for gut protection Colostrum at birth is essential for passive transfer of immunity to calves, but colostrum may also be beneficial in helping older calves fight off intestinal disease. Read more. Heifers and mastitis Heifers that contract mastitis are usually detected after freshening or sometime in early lactation. However, these animals could have had an intramammary infection for more than a year before being diagnosed. Milk-producing tissue in the udder develops during the first pregnancy, making it extremely important to protect heifers from mastitis pathogens. Read more. More Health Watch

			MANAGER TO MANAGER
		Windbreaks for heifers Protection from wind and snow is essential for heifers housed outdoors in dry lot, mound or pasture systems. Without this protection, cold temperatures and environmental conditions can take a toll on heifer growth, and in some cases, health. Joe Harner, an extension engineer from Kansas State University, provides tips for building windbreaks. Read more. Bandage it with pantyhose Pam Sojda at Offhaus Farms in New York offers this convenient tip, based on an experience she had with a calf and a horn infection. Read more. Criteria for healthy calf pens Ken Nordlund and his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have developed the "ideal Wisconsin calf pen concept" based on their research, which shows that a poorly designed pen can create an unhealthy microenvironment inside a naturally ventilated calf barn. The Wisconsin calf pen concept outlines seven criteria for healthy pens. Read the criteria. More Manager to Manager

QUESTION of the MONTH

Do you supplement milk or milk replacer with some colostrum after the first 24 hours?

Submit your answer here.

Web Poll responses will appear in the next edition of this newsletter.

Last issue's poll results:

Do you adjust your feeding program for cold weather? (65 responses)

A) Yes (88%)

B) No (12%)

			INDUSTRY CONNECTION
		Colostrum-feeding Webinar The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Webinar on Nov. 18 will focus on how to solve colostrum-feeding problems. Read more. Wisconsin calf-care connection With the value of saving just one calf being so huge, now's the time to sign up for a Calf Care Connection workshop being offered in three locations: Tuesday, Dec. 8, Arlington, Wis.; Wednesday, Dec. 9, Chilton, Wis.; and Thursday, Dec. 10, Eau Claire, Wis. Read more. Cleft palates in calves and humans? Agricultural Research Service animal scientist Kip Panter is helping to develop remarkable new techniques for treating cleft palates in humans. Read more. Careful recordkeeping is key to Beef Quality Assurance Dairy producers are beef producers, too, and the Beef Quality Assurance is a national program supported by the beef checkoff that provides guidelines for beef production to build consumer trust and confidence in the beef industry. Accurate recordkeeping for all treatments given to animals is one part of a BQA program and is designed to prevent antibiotic residues and protect consumers. Access the BQA guidelines for recordkeeping. More Industry Connection