The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Annual Conference is a once-a-year opportunity for calf and heifer raisers from across the country and around the world to network and share ideas.
The recent 2024 conference in Westminster, Colo., was no exception. Among the discussions in presentation rooms and hallways, mention of 5 key tools for better health and performance came to light. They included:
- Colostrum vessels – Dr. Geof Smith, technical services veterinarian with Zoetis, noted that colostrum collection often is not as hygienic as dairies’ standard milking procedures. This can set calves back from the get-to, if their first meal contains a heavy load of bacteria that detracts from its myriad benefits. Sanitation of the pails and containers used to collect, transport, and store colostrum is a must. In this briefing from Cornell University, one recommendation is to keep the catch bucket covered tightly, both before and after colostrum collection.
- Navel dippers – Here’s another practice that can send the best of management intentions awry in hurry: dipping navels from newborn calves with dirty equipment. Introducing bacteria in this manner provides a direct contamination pathway to the calf’s bloodstream and internal organs in the critical first day of life. In this blog post from The Dairy Authority, Greeley, Colo., veterinarian Jared Schenkels noted that some of his clients avoid this acute error by foregoing reusable dippers and instead dipping navels with single-use paper cups.
- Refractometers for total proteins – Smith noted that screening as few as 20 calves per month for serum total proteins can be highly valuable in monitoring colostrum delivery protocols and catching procedural drift. Elizabeth Marvel from Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition provides a detailed lesson on collecting a serum sample and testing it with an on-farm refractometer in this video.
- Scales – You cannot improve what you don’t measure, according to Tom Tlyutki, Ag Modeling and Training Systems. Tlyutki said today’s mature Holsteins are bigger than ever – averaging about 1,900 pounds – and that pre-breeding heifer growth goals need to be updated and monitored to keep up, especially because heifers have a hard time growing after they become pregnant. “Buy a set of scales and use it,” advised Tlyutki. “You can get a decent one for a couple hundred bucks.”
- Ammonia monitors – Air quality matters for calf health and performance, and more calf raisers are taking a page from the pork and poultry industries by monitoring the ammonia levels in their barns. The preferred brand mentioned was the Drager – manufactured in the United Kingdom -- which growers agreed delivers more reliable accuracy than less-expensive options.
