Vaccines protect dairy calves from diseases. That’s the short definition. The “long” story of vaccinating calves is that vaccine performance depends on many, highly variable factors.
Fifteen Holstein calves from novel genetic lineages have been born in just over a year at Penn State University, and are enjoying bovine “rock star status” there.
Summer climate changes mean preweaned calves need more water in their diets to prevent dehydration. But calf and heifer specialist Sam Leadley says calves also need water year-around for optimal digestive development.
A wide variety of “apps” are available to help you do everything from tracking your mileage to selecting the correct antibiotic dose to treat an animal.
Many producers will castrate their calves when they are two or three days old, which is my preferred period. Castration should occur when the calf is rather young.
Regardless of the financial advantages of feeding waste milk to calves, an important question is whether this practice can affect the calves’ health and result in unnecessary selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Kim Minich, a LaPorte County, Indiana producer, is the tradition of an Indiana dairy farmer handing a cold glass of milk to the winning driver in victory lane at the Indianapolis 500.
