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Colostrum-feeding Webinar (11/9/2009)
Jim Quigley, vice president and director, Calf Operations at APC, Inc., in Ankeny, Iowa, will present Solving Colostrum Feeding Problems at the next Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) Webinar, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 12:30 p.m. CDT.

The Webinar will include why colostrum management is challenging, points at which the process fails and strategies for using colostrum supplements and replacers to improve colostrum management.

Quigley received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 1985, and B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of New Hampshire. His research has focused on dairy calf nutrition, health and management. He has published more than 200 refereed journal articles and abstracts related to the nutrition and health of young calves and heifers.

DCHA member registration is free. Click here to register.

Non-members may register for a nominal fee of $25. Click here to register.

The Webinar is a live presentation, so participants can submit questions to Quigley that are specific to their situation.

The Webinar format will be:

30 minutes of presentation and followed by a 30-minute Q & A session.
Participants can submit questions during the session.
A moderator will be available to assist participants.

For more information, call (877) 434-3377, or visit www.calfandheifer.org.

Source: Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Wisconsin calf-care connection (11/9/2009)
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.

Each one-day workshop will feature calf researchers and industry experts who will deliver hands-on training and provide you with high-tech knowledge and skills to give you a competitive edge. You’ll work with live calves and get your most burning questions answered. This one-day session is ideal for professional calf feeders, dairy producers and heifer growers. Learn more.

Cleft palates in calves and humans? (11/9/2009)
Agricultural Research Service animal scientist Kip Panter is helping to develop remarkable new techniques for treating cleft palates in humans. Panter works at the ARS Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory in Logan, Utah, where he studied why cows that graze on toxic lupines often give birth to calves affected by "crooked calf disease." These calves are usually born alive at full term, but they can have a number of skeletal defects, including contracture deformities and cleft palate.

Panter found that pregnant cows usually begin to graze on lupines at the same time their unborn calves begin movements essential for normal development. During this time, which is also when the two palatal shelves close to form the roof of the mouth, toxins in the lupines can cross the placental barrier and temporarily induce fetal immobility. If the fetus isn't physically active during this interlude, the position of the tongue prevents palatal closure, and a cleft palate results.

Panter used these findings as a basis for developing a goat model to study the cause of cleft palates in the unborn kid goats. These animals were then used to test methods for prenatal cleft repair surgery.

After they were born, the baby goats that had undergone prenatal cleft repair had palates with muscle and mucosal structures that were virtually indistinguishable from the palates of goats that had never developed clefting defects. The prenatal surgeries also substantially repaired clefted bony structures, and the goats were able to nurse successfully and vocalize without impediments. In addition, the repaired palates had none of the scarring associated with cleft palate either before or after conventional cleft palate repair.

Prenatal surgery is risky for both mother and fetus, and these techniques are not approved yet for use in humans. However, this research could provide plastic surgeons with alternatives for repairing cleft-affected humans if and when other protocols for human fetal surgery are available.

Read more about the research in the August 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Source: USDA ARS

Careful recordkeeping is key to Beef Quality Assurance
Dairy producers are beef producers, too, and the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) 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.

Guidelines for Treatment and Records

Follow all FDA, USDA and EPA guidelines for each product.
Follow all label directions for each product.
Keep extra-label drug use to a minimum; use only when prescribed by a veterinarian working under a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).
Strictly adhere to extended withdrawal periods (as determined by a veterinarian within the context of a VCPR).
Identify animals either individually or as a group.
Record the following information when cows are treated:
- Individual animal or group/lot identification.
- Date treated.
- Product administered and manufacturer's lot/serial number.
- Dosage.
- Route and location of administration.
- Earliest date animal will have cleared the withdrawal period.
- Name of individual administering the treatment.
Check all cattle shipped to harvest to ensure that animals that have been treated have meet label or prescription withdrawal times for all animal health products administered.
Transfer all processing and treatment records with the cattle to next production level. Prospective buyers must be informed of any cattle that have not met withdrawal times.

Commitment to producing quality beef includes a responsibility to use antibiotics with care. Protecting human health and ensuring that producers will continue to be able to use antibiotics are two essential reasons to follow the recordkeeping procedures outlined by BQA standards. For more information about BQA programs and guidelines, visit www.bqa.org.

Dairy calf and heifer facility tours on tap (10/12/2009)
Innovative calf and heifer operations will be highlighted during two one-day tours, Oct. 20 and 21, developed by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin. The Tuesday, Oct. 20 tour will feature four facilities in northeastern Wisconsin, while the Wednesday, Oct. 21 tour will highlight four facilities in northwestern Wisconsin.

“We’re going to check out low-cost, retrofitted and state-of-the-art facilities for dairy calves, heifers and springers and interact with dairy producers who will share their stories regarding challenges, triumphs and lessons learned,” says Doug Knoepke, a Durand, Wis., dairy producer and president of PDPW. Both tours are all about information and idea sharing, networking and finding ways for dairy producers to be more profitable.

Both tours are open to dairy producers — PDPW members and non-members — as well as industry leaders. Registration fees covers round-trip busing, lunch, refreshments and information that can’t be gathered anywhere other than from experienced calf- and heifer-raisers.

Click here for more.

Automatic calf feeder Webinar (10/12/2009)
On Wednesday, Oct. 21 at noon (CST). the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) will host another of its informative Webinars. Jeanne Wormuth, farm manager of CY Heifer Farm, will present "Automatic Feeders - Can They Work for You?"

Wormuth will talk about the economics of automatic calf feeders, design issues and reducing the labor force as well as how this technology can work for your operation.

CY Heifer Farm converted its single housing units into group housing. Barns that once housed 48 calves now hold 100 babies in the same space. They reduced labor from four full-time calf feeders to two full-time. Bedding costs were reduced. The calves benefit from group interaction. They wean easier and their first move is less stressful. The heifers are used to moving in a group, eating out of a bunk and the water containers are the same; all these things add up to reduce stress.

Here are just a few of the areas that Wormuth will cover:

Labor force reductions
Valuable calf-specific data
Housing issues when using computerized feeders
Results from making the switch to automatic feeders

Wormuth is the farm manager of the CY Heifer Farm LLC in Elba, N.Y. This was formerly the Agway TSPF Heifer Farm and is a custom dairy heifer-raising operation. The facility has capacity for 4,000 animals and currently serves 10 customers from across New York State.

She is a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill with an AAS degree in agricultural science and holds a BS in animal science from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

For the past three years she has served on the DCHA board as the North East Regional Director. Her husband AJ, and their two children reside in Elba, N.Y.

This informative Webinar is free to DCHA members. There is a nominal fee of $25 for non-members to register. The last day to register is Monday, Oct. 19.

Wisconsin calf-care connection (10/12/2009)
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.

Responsible use of medication a part of quality assurance (10/12/2009)
Dairy producers are beef producers, too. And, it is important for dairy producers and calf-raisers to follow Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines. BQA 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. Responsible use of feed additives and medications is essential to protect human and animal health.

Guidelines for Feed Additives:

Use only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medicated feed additives in accordance with FDA current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs).
Extra-label use of feed additives is illegal and strictly prohibited.
Adhere to withdrawal times to avoid violative residues.
Keep complete records when formulating or feeding medicated rations.
Store records a minimum of two years or longer as required by law.

Judicious Antibiotic Use Guidelines:

Prevent problems by emphasizing husbandry and hygiene, routine health examinations and vaccinations.
Select and use antibiotics in consultation with your veterinarian.
Avoid using medications important to treating strategic human or animal infections as the first-choice antibiotic.
Use culture and susceptibility tests to select antimicrobials.
Avoid using broad-spectrum antimicrobials and combination therapy whenever possible.
Avoid inappropriate uses, such as for viral infections without bacterial complication.
Use current pharmacological information and principles in treatment programs.
Treat the fewest number of animals possible.
Treat for the recommended time period.
Avoid contaminating the environment with antibiotics.
Keep accurate records of treatment and outcome to evaluate treatments and obey withdrawal times.
Follow label instructions.
Prescriptions, including extra-label use, must follow FDA regulations.
Avoid subtherapeutic antibiotic use.

Commitment to producing quality beef includes a responsibility to use medicated feeds and antibiotics with care. Protecting human health and ensuring that producers will continue to be able to use antibiotics are two essential reasons to follow the procedures outlined by BQA standards.

For more information about BQA programs and guidelines, visit www.bqa.org.

New program embraces animal well-being (10/12/2009)
The National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring Responsible Management was launched at World Dairy Expo earlier this month. This new animal well-being program is designed to bring consistency and uniformity to animal care through education, on-farm evaluations and objective third-party verification. For more details on the program, click here.

DCHA reproduction profit seminar (9/14/2009)
On Thursday, Sept. 24, at 12 noon CST, the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) will host another of its informative webinars. Ray Nebel a Reproductive Specialist for Select Sires Inc. in Plain City, Ohio, will present "The Economic Impact of Reproduction Management for Heifers." Kamar Products Inc. of Zionville, Ind., is the sponsor of this month's Dairy Calf & Heifer Webinar.

According to Nebel, heifer reproduction is all about people, organization and protocols; it is not usually about the heifers. Nearly all heifers are ready to breed if big enough, with the rare exception of disease or short-term severe nutritional issues.

Here are just a few of the major concerns about reproduction management that Nebel will cover:

Screening heifers to move into breeding pens.
Getting heifers moved weekly into the breeding pens using prostaglandin and heatmount devices.
Being sure to get heifers that don't conceive re-bred.

The Webinar is free for DCHA members! Click here to register.

Non-members may register for a nominal fee of $25. Click here to register.

Using popular media to tell dairy farming’s story (9/14/2009)
Dairy Management Inc. will be hosting a seminar at this year’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., discussing how the dairy industry can use social media to tell dairy farming’s story.

Social media networks and sites are becoming a very popular tool for people to gather information and express thoughts and opinions. The myDairy Social Media seminar will teach producers and agribusiness professionals of all ages how to utilize peer-to-peer communication to tell the dairy industry’s story, reinforce and build its positive image, and counter inaccurate or uninformed online commentary about modern dairy farming practices. Learn how to use outlets such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and blogs to create dialogue to spread positive dairy messages. The seminar will take place, Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. in the Mendota 2 meeting room.

Genomic selection of dairy cattle: opportunities and challenges (9/14/2009)
On Oct. 1, attendees at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., can take part in an educational seminar dedicated to genomic selection of dairy cattle.

Genomic selection is perhaps the greatest breakthrough in dairy cattle breeding since the advent of progeny testing nearly half a century ago. Kent Weigel will discuss the practical application of testing animals for AI programs and commercial dairy producers including the implications of this technology on selection programs, mating decisions, inbreeding and management practices. C. Michael Cowan will discuss how methods in sampling methods, storage and test procedures can impact the amount and accuracy of information generated and the utility of DNA information. The seminar will take place Thursday, Oct. 1 at 11 a.m. in the Mendota 2 meeting room.

Feeding calves to maximize potential growth (9/14/2009)
Attendees at this year’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., can take part in an educational seminar on maximizing the potential growth of calves.

Calves are the future of the dairy herd. However, current feeding programs may not be providing enough nutrition. Traditional milk replacer feeding programs do not have enough protein, thus inhibiting calves from reaching their maximum growth potential. Increasing the level of nutrition to calves has shown positive results in growth rates and increased immune defense. With increased defense, there is less sickness, which results in lower treatment costs, decreased death loss and ultimately improved first lactation production. The seminar will take place Thursday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. in the Mendota 2 meeting room.

Feeding and nutrition essential (9/14/2009)
Cattlemen have long recognized the need to properly care for their livestock. Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) 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. Sound animal husbandry practices, including proper nutrition, impact the well-being of cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity are part of BQA. Diets for all classes of dairy cattle should meet the recommendations of the National Research Council (NRC) or of a nutritional consultant.

Guidelines for Proper Nutrition:

Cattle must have access to an adequate water supply. Estimated water requirements for all classes of dairy cattle are described by the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle.
Provide adequate feed. Avoid feed and water interruption longer than 24 hours.
Feedstuffs and feed ingredients should be of satisfactory quality to meet nutritional needs. Support feeding of by-product ingredients with sound science.
Maintain a quality control program to test suspect feedstuffs for substances that can be detrimental to cattle well-being, such as nitrate, prussic acid, molds, mycotoxins, etc.
Familiarize yourself with potential micronutrient deficiencies or excesses in your geographic area and use appropriately formulated supplements.
Use only USDA, FDA and EPA approved products. These products must be used in accordance with the approved product use guidelines; no “extra label” feed additives allowed. Do not feed ruminant-derived protein sources.
Maintain records of pesticide use on pasture or crops that could potentially lead to violative residue in cattle.

Nutrition and feed management programs should be based on science and common sense. Dairy cows with a body condition score of 2.5 to 3.0 produce the most valuable carcasses. Cows should be managed to maintain body condition and should be marketed before losing excessive condition. Commitment to producing quality beef includes a responsibility to provide adequate nutrition to meet the needs of cattle in all stages of production. For more information about BQA programs and guidelines, visit www.bqa.org.

DCHA profit seminar (8/10/2009)
The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) will host a Webinar on Aug. 20. This month’s profit Webinar “Gold Standards” will cover mortality, morbidity, growth rate, colostrum management, nutrition and housing production and performance standards.

Gary Neubauer, senior veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health; Sam Leadley, calf/heifer management specialist for the Attica (N.Y.) Veterinary Associates, and DCHA President Lewis Anderson will discuss the recently established Gold Standards. The Gold Standards developed by DCHA in cooperation with Pfizer Animal Health, outline principles in key production areas for Holstein calves from birth to six months of age.

The Profit Webinar format will be:

Thirty minutes of presentation to be followed by a 30-minute Q/A session
Participants can e-mail questions during the session

The Webinar will be offered live at 12 p.m. CST. The informative Webinar is free to DCHA members. Click here to register.

If you are not a DCHA member, click here to register or call (877) 434-3377. There is a nominal fee of $25 for non-members to register. The last day to register is Aug. 18.

For more information, call (877) 434-3377 or visit: www.calfandheifer.org.

Get to know your beef checkoff (8/10/2009)
Dairy farmers are beef producers, too. So you need to know the scoop about your beef checkoff investments. Start with the "MyBeefCheckoff Quiz" to brush up — and aim for a prize! Take the quiz.

Cattle-care guidelines (8/10/2009)
Cattlemen have long recognized the need to properly care for the animals under their care. Sound animal husbandry practices, based on decades of practical experience and research, are known to impact the well-being of cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity. Cattle are produced in very diverse environments and geographic locations in the United States. There is not one specific set of production practices that can be recommended for all cattle producers. Personal experience, training and professional judgment can serve as a valuable resource for providing proper animal care.

The Code of Cattle Care below lists general recommendations for care and handling of cattle:

Provide necessary food, water and care to protect the health and well-being of animals.
Provide disease prevention practices to protect herd health, including access to veterinary care.
Provide facilities that allow safe, humane, and efficient movement and/or restraint of cattle.
Use appropriate methods to humanly euthanize terminally sick or injured livestock and dispose of them properly.
Provide personnel with training/experience to properly handle and care for cattle.
Make timely observations of cattle to ensure basic needs are being met.
Minimize stress when transporting cattle.
Keep updated on advancements and changes in the industry to make decisions based upon sound production practices and consideration for animal well-being.
Persons who willfully mistreat animals will not be tolerated.

For more information about proper cattle care and other BQA program, visit www.bqa.org.

The preceding text has been adapted from “The Cattle Industry’s Guidelines for the Care and Handling of Cattle."

Survival checklist (7/13/2009)
Check out these management tips and strategies for surviving tough times that appeared in a recent Dairy Calf & Heifer Association newsletter. These tips were suggested by Mary Peabody, extension agent at the University of Vermont.

Keep your employees in the loop. Turbulent times can sometimes cause us to withhold bad news in order to protect others. That instinct is absolutely wrong. During periods of uncertainty, it is critical that you be even more transparent in your communications. Start with your employees. Tell them the truth about how the business is doing and what your benchmarks are going to be for decision-making. You do not want to be in the position of having your key employees panic and start looking for new positions just when you need their creativity and skills the most.
Re-double your efforts at record-keeping. If your record-keeping habits are a bit sloppy, now is the time to rectify that and bring all your records up-to-date. If you are a meticulous record-keeper, then keep up the habit. Having a clear sense of how costs are changing relative to sales is a key factor in making high-quality management decisions. Take the time to run some sensitivity analyses on your business to predict how your business will fare in a variety of scenarios. It may seem like a doom-and-gloom exercise, but knowing where you will be most vulnerable in a variety of situations will help relieve the stress of feeling like you have no control.
Communicate with your creditors. If you are having cash-flow problems, let your lenders know before you start missing payments. Despite all the news about unscrupulous bankers, most lenders are caring, decent people that want to help you succeed. Ask for help and be prepared to take action. You may also want to visit with your attorney, insurance agent, accountant and any other consultants on your management team.
Thank your customers for their loyalty. Don't underestimate the power of appreciation. Let your customers know that you appreciate their continued support. If a customer has to reduce an order or change their purchasing habits, let them know that you understand. On the other hand, if customers are falling behind in their payments, contact them right away and request a written payment plan to get them current. Unless you can afford to finance their debt, be empathetic but firm.
Take care of yourself. When things are not going well, many business owners have a tendency to work harder. Working more hours, combined with increasing stress levels, is a recipe for health problems. Force yourself to stick to your normal routines — eat properly, get plenty of rest, exercise regularly and spend time with family and friends. All of these activities will help you keep business problems in perspective and keep you from obsessing over things you cannot control.
Reach out to others. Networking is important during good times. In bad times, it becomes a necessity. Share tips and strategies with other business owners on what is working for you and where you need help. Surviving a global economic crisis will be a challenge for business owners regardless of their size and industry.

English/Spanish dictionary of calf and heifer terms (7/13/2009)
Here are some phrases it would be good to know in Spanish.

Wash the buckets with soap and hot water.
Lava las cubetas con jabon y agua caliente.

The bull calf was born this morning.
El becerro nació esta mañana.

How old is this calf?
¿Qué edad tiene este becerro?

Did this calf nurse?
¿Esta Becerra se amamantó?

She didn’t get enough colostrum.
Ella no consumió bastante calostro.

Dip the navel with iodine at birth.
Ponga yodo en el ombligo a nacimiento.

Spanish phrases are courtesy of Karen Jacobsen, veterinarian at Farm Animal Resources and Management in Athens, Ga.
Las expresiones fueron traducidas al español por Karen Jacobson, médico veterinario de Farm Animal Resources en Altanta, estado de Georgia, EE.UU.

Jerseys have good beef potential (7/13/2009)
Chad Mueller from Oregon State University presented the results of his research into Jersey beef production following the National All-Jersey Inc. annual meeting in Syracuse, N.Y. “Feedlots often place Jersey steers in a ‘dairy’ pen with Holsteins,” Mueller explained, “and the Jerseys end up being overfed.” His research investigated calf-fed steers raised on diets with two different energy levels in an attempt to identify some of the unique aspects of Jersey beef production.

Steers began the experiment at four months of age and were fed for about 400 days. Feed intake was recorded daily; weight and skeletal growth were measured monthly. During the finishing phase, ultrasound was used to record changes in backfat depth, marbling and muscle depth. At harvest carcass weight, backfat, ribeye area, kidney-pelvic-heart fat and USDA quality and yield grades were evaluated. Calves were categorized as light (average initial body weight 170 pounds) or heavy (average initial body weight 213 pounds) before the trial began.

Calves that were heavier at the start of the experiment out-performed lighter calves. Total days on feed were 11 days shorter, and final body weight was 76 pounds greater for heavy calves. Heavy calves also had more backfat and marbling and earned a higher yield grade than light calves. At about 14 months, steers stopped storing body protein and started storing core body fat, which is all trim, indicating the best opportunity for growth is early in life.

Mueller concluded that Jersey steers had a high propensity for marbling and could be expected to produce high-quality carcasses grading choice or better. Dressing percentage was 57 percent, which means that animals will need to be fed to about 1,050 pounds of live weight to ensure a 600-pound hot carcass weight. In order to reach that weight, feeders must accept feed conversion efficiency and average daily gains lower than those typical for beef breeds, particularly during finishing.

Know your employees’ nationality (6/8/2009)
It is common to lump all Spanish-speaking employees under the umbrella term “Hispanic.” “Hispanic has the connotation of originating from Spain,” Alvaro Garcia, extension dairy specialist at South Dakota State University, said at the 2009 Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference in Tucson, Ariz. However, many Spanish-speaking employees have no immediate connection to Spain.

The term “Latinos” is more appropriate to use. It describes the Latin origin of the Spanish language, Garcia said. However, if you want to be even more specific, just call employees by their origin. “If they are from Mexico, they are Mexican,” he explained.

Have employees pinpoint their home country on a map. It makes them feel appreciated when you ask where they are originally from. “They are very proud of their heritage,” Garcia said.

Call for award nominations
Applications for the 2010 National Beef Quality Assurance Award are now being accepted. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding animal care and handling principles on their operations.

Nominees will be competing for two national awards:

Beef producers
Dairy producers

Applications are due July 1. Click here for more details.

Take a virtual tour (5/11/2009)
If you didn't make the annual Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference in March, you can still take a video tour of a dairy-beef operation featured at the Cattlemen's Beef Board Web site. View the video at MyBeefCheckoff.com.

Expansion on a budget (5/11/2009)
Expansion is still possible in hard economic times; you just have to be creative. Joe Harner, agricultural engineer at Kansas State University, shared these tips for maximizing facility capacity and heifer throughput at the annual Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference.

Reduce breeding age. “If you can reduce breeding age by one month, you can increase capacity (or facility throughput) by 6 percent,” he said. In other words, each month that breeding age is delayed past 15 months of age results in a 6-percent reduction in capacity.
Move heifers off-site after breeding. This increases throughput or capacity 5 percent, based on a 22-month age-at-first calving.
Lease facilities. However, “know and identify existing problems” first, he cautioned.
·Cull earlier. Cull animals in the lowest percentile for growth at four to six months of age rather than after they are bred. This can yield a 10-percent change in capacity. If calves are below the median (50^th percentile for weight gain), “there’s a high probability” that they’re only going to “take up space” in your facility, he said.
Move offsite heifers back home sooner. If you can ship bred heifers back home one month after breeding or at 16 months of age, you can move 37 percent more heifers through a facility, he said.

Tips for source and age verification (4/13/2009)
Age and source verification have become increasingly important as U.S. beef heads to foreign markets.

In order to sell calves as Source and Age Verified, producers participate in a Process Verified Program (PVP) or Quality System Assessment (QSA).

Bart Hanson, a dairy-beef producer in Rupert, Idaho, stresses the importance of keeping records for an age and source verification program.

“We keep detailed records including the day the calf was born, what dairy each calf came from and the distinct identification number that each calf arrives with. We can go as far as entering a description of the calf in our computer program,” said Hanson.

Here are basic recommendations for records to keep and procedures to perform:

Tag calves at or near birth with a unique number for your operation.
Keep detailed calving records. This includes calf ID, dam ID, calving date and sex of calf.
Keep records in a safe, readily accessible location.
Keep records of all cattle sales.
Record detailed health records which include all vaccinations or other health treatments. Maintain all records as suggested by BQA Best Management Practices.
Become a BQA certified producer.

For additional information on age and source verification programs, please contact the program manager for the specific program you are interested in, or go to: www.bqa.org.

DCHA Gold Standards (4/13/2009)
The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association is in the process of establishing a set of production and performance standards for Holstein calves from birth to six months of age.

“This is the beginning of an ongoing process,” said incoming DCHA president Lewis Anderson. “We’ll look at going from six months on up to (calving) at a later time,” he said during a breakout session at the group’s annual meeting in Tucson, Ariz., last month.

“After we set the standards, we are going to teach… and train our organization how we can get to these standards,” Anderson said. For more information, click here.

Upcoming meetings (3/9/2009)
Sunshine and good advice on raising calves and heifers await you at the Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference coming up this month in Tucson, Ariz. And check out two other events — a calf symposium and heifer facility tours — coming up next month. Here’s what is on tap:

Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference, March 24-27, Tucson, Ariz. For more information, call (636) 449-5077 or go to: www.calfandheifer.org.
Great Lakes Dairy Calf Symposium 2009, April 7, Kalamazoo, Mich. For more information, click here.
PDPW Heifer Facility Tours, April 9-10. For more information, go to: www.pdpw.org or call (800) 947-7379.

New heifer resource center (3/9/2009)
Heifers are the future of the dairy herd. Find articles focusing on key aspects of heifer raising and links to Web sites that focus directly on heifer management at the new Heifer Resource Center. At the center, you can click on topic areas such as nutrition/feeding, reproduction, management, health and more. Click here to access the resource center.

Tips for dealing with downers (3/9/2009)
Non-ambulatory, or downer, cattle have been banned from the food chain to boost public confidence in the safety of the nation’s food supply. This ruling demonstrates the need for a prompt diagnosis to determine whether the animal should be humanely euthanized or receive additional care.

To care for a “downer”:

Provide feed and water to non-ambulatory cattle at least once daily.
Move downer animals very carefully to avoid compromising animal welfare. Dragging downer animals is unacceptable.
Acceptable methods of transporting downers include a sled, low-boy trailer or in the bucket of a loader. Animals should not be “scooped” into the bucket, but rather should be humanely rolled into the bucket by caretakers.
When treatment has been attempted, cattle that are unable to sit up unaided and refuse to eat or drink should be humanely euthanized within 24 to 36 hours of initial onset.

The decision to euthanize an animal should consider the animal’s welfare. When on-farm euthanasia is necessary, refer to the Practical Euthanasia of Cattle guidelines developed and published by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners.

Visit www.bqa.org for more information on proper protocol for downer cattle, or contact your state BQA coordinator. Additionally, contact your state BQA coordinator to become BQA certified and join a growing number of producers committed to producing the best beef possible.