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Calf & Heifer Adviser Articles
People comfort is important, too
Heifer barns give calf care employees and their charges relief from inclement weather at Wiese Brothers Dairy in Greenleaf, Wis.
The three-sided facilities feature 3-foot x 8-foot individual pens, similar in size to a calf hutch, and roof overhangs that cover much of the front feed apron. The design offers plenty of ventilation and calf comfort. But the bonus is that is also gives employees some comfort, too, in that they are out of the weather. “In order to have protocols followed every day — no matter the weather — people have to have a good work environment,” says Mark Wiese.
Wiese kept this in mind when designing the mixing and cleaning facility, too. The heated building is split in two; one side is for feed mixing and storage, while the other side features plenty of room for power-washing and other cleaning activities, even in winter. This facility enables employees to complete tasks appropriately and easily without interference from other activities or the weather.
Color-coded movement strategy
Newborn calves at 3-D Dairy in Malone, Wis., are housed in individual pens in the dairy’s new calf facility for 10 days before heading to the dairy’s computerized calf-feeder pens. This enables co-owner Linda Diederichs and her staff to make sure calves get plenty of individual attention and are off to a good start before they enter a group setting. “I like to get them started in the individual pens,” Diederichs says.
However, to make sure calves are moved at appropriate times, she clips colored 3-inch x 5-inch note cards to the top of each pen (and out of chewing range) with calf birth dates and the date 10 days from birth, so they are moved at the right time. The dairy uses different colors for each group of calves so they know calf status at a glance.
Tips to handle vaccines
Compliance and proper vaccine handling and administration are two of the biggest issues in dairy-vaccination programs today, says Jerry Olson, senior veterinarian with Pfizer Animal Health. Olson offers the following tips when handling vaccines.
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Rotate vaccine inventory. The oldest vaccine should be in the front. Short-dated product should be identified and specifically marked for quick use. If vaccine protocols change, then vaccine no longer used should be returned for credit.
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Monitor refrigerator temperatures. Have a thermometer in each refrigerator. Buy a thermometer that can record maximum and minimum temperatures in the refrigerator. The temperature needs to be between 37 degrees F to 45 degrees F. Freezing vaccinations could damage them. Make sure there is room behind the refrigerator and in the refrigerator for air movement. Clean coils on refrigerator.
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Use open vaccines quickly. All vaccines should be used ASAP after opening. Open only one bottle of premixed vaccine at a time. Mix up modified live as you go. Do not store mixed vaccines.
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