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Dairy Herd Management Articles Consider spot checks When grazing, calve early Watch out for disinfectant smell Colostrum worth more than $400 per gallon Clothespins indicate weaning status Feed protein wisely Rubber ducky, you’re the one Teach young heifers to graze Nothing like a chubby baby Pour on the calories…it pays Handy carrying device Get heifers to eat all their feed Rules for on-farm pasteurization of waste milk Dehydrated calves need electrolytes and milk replacer Keep calf pails separated Colostrum 911 Heifers sort feed, too Homemade bottle cart Calf growth unaffected by milk replacer fat sources A new menu option for heifers Heifers do well on alternative proteins Consider stockpiling grass for fall What do your calves say? Change calves’ water frequently She’s ready. Are you? Rules for on-farm pasteurization of waste milk Free-choice milk options studied No fat heifers here Researchers learn more about heat-treated colostrum Tips for feeding an accelerated milk replacer Calves need more calories Grow her fast without the worry Feed calves’ immune systems Self-feeders work well in heifer barns Milk proteins still the “gold standard” in milk replacer Cut her cost in half Do you feed your heifers enough? Avoid these calf-feeding faux pas Preserve colostrum with potassium sorbate Inspect your esophageal feeder Fenceline hay feeder saves pasture Split-bucket calf-feeding system Feed protein wisely A fast start for heifers Is your water suitable for calves? Control variation in heifer feed calls Calibrate calf-feeding equipment Don’t add extra molasses to starter Meet grazing heifers’ water needs Try to wean at four weeks Chill colostrum quickly Special diet prevents fat heifers Done right every time Processed corn influences calf performance Step up energy to calves in cold weather Produce top-quality colostrum

Calf & Heifer Adviser Articles 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. Jim Quigley, vice president and director of calf operations for APC Inc., discusses milk pasteurization and optimal temperatures in the latest issue of Calf Notes. Download this issue. Tips to manage colostrum Colostrum-management expert Sandra Godden, dairy researcher at the University of Minnesota, has issued a newly revised set of colostrums-management tips. These tips are discussed in the October issue of Nutrition Plus. Read full story. Calf Nutrition (wet calves) Is your feeding program ready for cold weather?  Manage total solids  Optimize nutrient ratios in milk replacers  Hay: Limited or free-choice?   Trace minerals and newborn calf health Calves need supplemental fatty acids  It pays to know about calf nutrition  Continued colostrum feeding improved weight gain  Stay away from fines in calf starters  Aim for zero feed refusal Acid + milk = Healthy calves?  Oligosaccharides for calves examined  Calculate cold-weather energy needs  Alternative proteins reduce calf growth Researchers examine milk replacer composition  Corn grain in starter studied  Feeding area fundamentals  Researchers scrutinize fiber in calf starters Amino acids improve calf performance Prevent waste milk train wrecks   Pasteurization resource materials  Alternative proteins in milk replacer evaluated  Evaluate alternative proteins carefully  Early nutrition means more milk later Hay too early limits growth Most unrecognized problem in calves Starch source in calf starter evaluated  Advantages of once-a-day feeding Form of starter affects consumption Calf growth unaffected by milk replacer fat sources Calves need more calories Change calves’ water frequently Does laminitis start at weaning? Don’t add extra molasses to starter Feed calves’ immune systems Feed more milk to reduce bawling Free-choice milk options studied Hay may be OK for young calves Liquid egg in milk replacer holds promise Milk proteins still the “gold standard” in milk replacer Processed corn influences calf performance Study examines step-down milk feeding Wean calves naturally Yeast culture helps calf growth Abrupt weaning hurts growth No increase in diarrhea either Study examines non-milk proteins Keep molasses levels in check Study compares forms of calf starter Physical form of starter affects intake Once-a-day feeding revisited More on milk-feeding frequency Step-down feeding follow-up  Heifer Nutrition (post-weaning on up) Nutrition and Cryptosporidium parvum  Heat-treated colostrum shows advantages  Feed efficiency at your fingertips  Less mud in heifer pens saves feed cost  De-oiled distillers grains OK for heifers  Feed heifers for a smooth transition  Heifer feeding behavior studied  Heifer protein sources under study  Study examines ammonia emissions from heifers  Back off on phosphorus  Heifer-feeding Webinar  Straw in heifer diets studied New publication compiles latest dairy research Does laminitis start at weaning? Heifer feeding options plentiful Heifers do well on alternative proteins Heifers sort feed, too Limit-fed heifers generate less manure Set limits on gains before puberty Wet distillers an option for heifers Abrupt weaning hurts growth Step up nutrition to meet genetic potential Graze heifers on winter annual forages