Calves

Clearing the Air About Ammonia in Calf Hutches

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:52:09 GMT

Most calf hutches look fine from the outside. But what’s happening inside the hutch, especially at calf level, is not always as obvious.

When wet bedding and manure break down, they release ammonia. In hutches, it builds up right where calves are breathing. Even at fairly low levels, it can affect intake, growth and overall performance.

During a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, David Casper, a dairy nutritionist and owner of Casper’s Calf Ranch in Illinois, explains how ammonia develops in calf hutches and what it means from a management standpoint.

Airflow is a Strength

Calf hutches continue to be widely used across dairies because they naturally provide strong ventilation and keep calves in individual spaces that are easy to manage. They also offer flexibility as herds grow and do not require the same level of infrastructure as enclosed barns.

“In my opinion, the hutch would still be the gold standard as far as having the best environmental quality you could have, especially air quality, and not have to deal with ventilation problems,” Casper says.

Even so, ammonia can increase as bedding becomes damp. By the time it’s noticeable, calves have already been exposed.

“When we started using soy hulls, I started noticing ammonia in the hutches,” Casper says. “I could smell it and really picked up on it. And that’s when we started getting concerned.”

That realization prompted a closer look at ammonia levels in hutches and how they relate to calf growth and health.

Measuring Ammonia

To better understand the issue, Casper evaluated ammonia levels in 90 calf hutches. Calves were placed in alternating hutches assigned to either a control or treatment group, and ammonia was measured weekly.

“Once a week, we come through with a personal ammonia detector that’s digital, and we would turn that with the measuring system face down on the bedding,” he says. “After 30 seconds, you get a stable reading, and that was the ammonia reading in the hutch.”

Control hutches averaged about 10 parts per million, while treated hutches averaged around 1.5 parts per million, an 85% reduction.

“We actually reduced the ammonia levels in the hutches by 85%,” Casper says.

That difference was significat, as performance challenges can begin once ammonia exceeds about 4 to 6 parts per million.

“Basically the range is four to six parts per million,” he says. “Above that, you will actually start seeing performance losses or performance challenges.”

Ammonia levels varied widely between hutches. Wetter bedding, scours and older calves were all associated with higher readings.

“Some hutches would have values up to 100 parts per million and other ones would be very low,” Casper says.

Ammonia also tended to increase later in the preweaning period as calves consumed more starter.

“For our studies, week seven and eight were probably the higher ammonia readings,” Casper says. “The first week had almost no ammonia readings because they’re on freshly bedded straw and fecal output is very minimal.”

Impact on Calf Growth

Lower ammonia levels were also tied to better performance. Calves in lower ammonia environments gained more weight during the preweaning period.

“We actually picked up on a growth response as well,” Casper says. “We got .14 pounds more average daily gain.”

Milk feeding remained the same, pointing to differences in intake and environment.

“The calves that were in the lower ammonia levels in the hutches ate more calf starter and had better growth rates,” he says.

Calves in lower ammonia hutches also showed greater increases in heart girth, indicating more overall body development.

Managing Ammonia in the Hutch

While most dairies are not measuring ammonia regularly, several management areas influence how much builds up in hutches.

Bedding is the biggest driver. Keeping bedding dry and well maintained helps limit ammonia. Deep straw provides insulation and absorbs moisture, but it needs to be refreshed regularly, especially later in the preweaning period.

“A calf can take a lot of cold weather if they’ve got deep straw bedding that they can nest down into and stay warm,” Casper says.

Moisture control is also important. Hutches with scours or poor drainage tend to have higher ammonia levels, so identifying problem hutches early can help target extra bedding or cleanout.

Smell is another indicator. If ammonia is noticeable when checking calves, levels are already elevated.

Timing matters as well. Ammonia tends to increase as calves get older and consume more starter, so bedding management often needs to be more aggressive in the later weeks before weaning.

A few practical hutch-specific steps producers can use include:

Add fresh straw more often in the back third of the hutch, where moisture tends to build first
Pull wet bedding away from the calf’s resting area instead of just layering on top
Pay close attention to hutches with scouring calves and re-bed them first
Check bedding depth at the calf level, not just at the front entrance of the hutch
Clean or fully reset hutches between groups when possible to reduce carryover moisture

Paying attention to these areas can help keep ammonia levels lower and support more consistent calf performance through the preweaning period.

Hidden Pneumonia in Calves: Why More Dairies Use Ultrasound to Catch Respiratory Disease Early

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:06:16 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains one of the most common and costly health challenges in preweaned dairy calves. The challenge is that many cases develop long before calves show visible symptoms.

“By the time calves show obvious clinical signs of respiratory disease, lung damage may already be present,” says Aerica Bjurstrom, regional dairy educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “That’s why tools that help us detect pneumonia earlier can make a big difference in calf health and long-term performance.”

Traditional diagnosis relies on symptoms such as coughing, nasal discharge, or elevated temperature. But these signs often appear late in the disease process. In many cases, calves may look completely healthy while still carrying lung infections.

This form of illness, known as subclinical pneumonia, can reduce growth, feed efficiency and even future milk production.

“The lungs can really act as an indicator organ,” Bjurstrom explains. “Respiratory disease often reflects larger management challenges, such as poor colostrum intake, nutrition issues, or environmental stress.”

The Hidden Pneumonia Problem

Research has shown that pneumonia often develops days before visible symptoms appear.

“Ultrasound allows us to see what’s happening inside the lung tissue, even when the calf looks normal from the outside,” Bjurstrom says. “In many cases, pneumonia can be present for days before any clinical signs appear.”

Studies suggest that 50% to 80% of pneumonia cases may remain subclinical for 7 to 14 days before producers notice symptoms. That delay can allow lung damage to progress before treatment begins.

“Sometimes calves with severe pneumonia don’t show obvious symptoms,” Bjurstrom says. “But an ultrasound exam can reveal lung lesions that tell us the disease is already present.”

How Lung Ultrasound Works

Lung ultrasonography allows veterinarians to examine calf lungs in real time using portable ultrasound equipment.

A normal lung appears air-filled on the scan and produces horizontal white lines that move with each breath. These lines indicate healthy lung tissue.

Changes in the image can reveal early disease.

“Comet tails are bright vertical lines that extend down from the lung surface,” Bjurstrom says. “A few may be normal, but severe or diffuse comet tailing can suggest interstitial disease caused by fluid or inflammation within the lung.”

More advanced disease appears as lung consolidation, where portions of the lung fill with inflammatory material instead of air. On ultrasound, these areas appear as solid gray regions.

Veterinarians often use a 0 to 5 lung scoring system to evaluate severity.

“This scoring system helps identify disease before calves begin coughing or showing nasal discharge,” Bjurstrom says. “Early detection allows for earlier treatment and better outcomes.”

Dr. Ollivett demonstrates positioning for thoracic ultrasound scanning on a calf’s right lung.

(Denise Garlow, University of Wisconsin)

Why Early Detection Matters

Even when calves show no visible symptoms, lung damage can affect their long-term performance.

In one study of more than 600 Holstein heifers, calves with lung consolidation detected at weaning were less likely to become pregnant and more likely to leave the herd before first calving.

Another study found calves with significant lung lesions in the first eight weeks of life produced 1,155 pounds less milk during their first lactation.

“These findings highlight why early detection matters,” Bjurstrom says. “Subclinical disease can still influence growth, reproduction, and milk production later in life.”

Improving Treatment Outcomes

Early detection can also make treatment more effective.

“When pneumonia is caught earlier, treatment tends to work better,” Bjurstrom explains. “We’re able to intervene before the disease becomes severe and causes permanent lung damage.”

Ultrasound can also help veterinarians monitor recovery.

“That monitoring aspect is important,” she says. “It helps ensure calves are improving and reduces unnecessary retreatment.”

A Management Tool for Farms

Beyond diagnosis, lung ultrasound is increasingly used as a herd management tool.

“Ultrasound gives producers objective information about lung health,” Bjurstrom says. “That can help guide decisions about treatment, culling, or adjusting weaning timing for calves that may need more time to recover.”

Regular scanning can also reveal herd-level trends tied to management practices.

“When used consistently, ultrasound becomes a benchmarking tool,” Bjurstrom says. “It can help farms evaluate colostrum programs, ventilation, sanitation, and other factors that influence calf health.”

A Growing Tool in Calf Health Programs

Portable ultrasound units have become more accessible and easier to use, making them more common in calf health programs. With proper training, scanning a calf’s lungs typically takes less than a minute.

“The equipment requires an initial investment, but the information it provides can be incredibly valuable,” Bjurstrom says. “Earlier detection can lead to better management decisions, improved calf growth, and fewer losses.”

As dairy farms continue adopting more data-driven management practices, lung ultrasound is giving producers a new way to detect disease sooner and protect the long-term potential of their calves.

“Lung ultrasound helps us move beyond waiting for visible symptoms,” Bjurstrom says. “It allows producers and veterinarians to identify problems earlier and take action before long-term damage occurs.”

Colostrum Quality Starts Weeks Before the Calf Arrives

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:00:49 GMT

On most dairies, colostrum management is treated as a short window right after calving. The first milking is collected, tested and quickly fed to the calf. But new research suggests colostrum quality is shaped weeks before it ever reaches the pail.

Research from Amanda Fischer-Tlustos examines colostrogenesis, the process that produces colostrum, and how nutrition, metabolism and mammary activity during the dry period influence what ends up in that first milking.

“We always talk about harvesting colostrum to feed the calves,” she said during a recent Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast. “But how are the cows producing it?”

Her work suggests the answer starts much earlier than many farms think, with high-quality colostrum developing gradually in the weeks leading up to calving.

Looking Beyond IgG

Colostrum conversations often revolve around immunoglobulin G, or IgG. Because calves are born without functional immunity, they depend on these antibodies from colostrum to establish passive transfer.

While IgG remains the cornerstone of colostrum quality, Fischer-Tlustos believes focusing only on antibodies overlooks much of what makes colostrum biologically powerful.

“I wanted to focus on it more than just IgG,” she says. “There’s all these other things in colostrum aside from IgG. Not just when is IgG transferred from the serum into the colostrum prior to calving, but also when are the macronutrients starting to be synthesized, and when are bioactive compounds starting to be synthesized or transferred?”

These additional components include hormones, growth factors and specialized carbohydrates known as oligosaccharides. Although they exist in much lower concentrations than fat or antibodies, they can have meaningful effects on calf development.

“To me, the definition of a bioactive compound is something that is present in low concentrations compared to IgG or fat,” Fischer-Tlustos says. “But even though they’re present at low concentrations, they could still have a really big impact on calf development and physiology.”

Taken together, these compounds reveal colostrum as a complex biological package rather than simply the first milk produced after calving.

“It’s almost like the cow has tailored her colostrum to the calf’s needs,” Fischer-Tlustos adds.

(File Photo)

A Staggered Timeline Before Calving

To understand when these components begin forming, Fischer-Tlustos followed a group of Holstein cows from dry-off through calving. The cows were dried off approximately eight weeks before their expected calving date, allowing researchers to monitor mammary changes throughout the dry period.

The team collected small samples of mammary secretions at regular intervals leading up to calving.

“We didn’t want to take too much, because then we could induce them into lactation, which would wreck our colostrum,” Fischer-Tlustos says.

What the team discovered was a surprisingly staggered timeline of colostrum formation.

Lactose and fat production, two hallmarks of normal milk secretion, began very close to calving.

“We found that lactose and fat really only start to turn on within about one to two days prior to calving,” she says. “And that makes sense to me. They kind of turn on with lactogenesis, which is milk production.”

Protein synthesis began slightly earlier.

“We found that protein starts to turn on about a week prior to calving,” Fischer-Tlustos says.

The timeline for IgG accumulation, however, followed a different pattern.

“When we looked at IgG, what we actually found was that it started to accumulate substantially in some cows even as early as six weeks prior to calving, and some cows were accumulating it even before that,” she says.

Because the cows in the study were dried off roughly eight weeks before calving, that means antibody accumulation began soon after the dry period started. The discovery challenged the assumption that the close-up period is the primary window for influencing colostrum quality.

“It kind of really started to reframe my thinking,” Fischer-Tlustos says. “We try to put in nutritional strategies or management strategies in the close-up period to try to drive more IgG transfer. But it made me think, maybe this isn’t the time we need to be looking at that.”

Further analysis reinforced the importance of early accumulation. Cows that began building IgG earlier in the dry period consistently produced better colostrum.

“The earlier it could accumulate in the prepartum secretion, the better the colostrum would be after she calved,” she says. “And we found that the more gradual or slowly that that accumulation could happen, the better for first milking colostrum.”

(Farm Journal)

Giving the Udder Rest

While studying differences between cows, Fischer-Tlustos began looking at another important factor: mammary activity during the dry period.

Her team measured indicators of mammary metabolism including milk yield at dry-off, mammary blood flow and uptake of metabolic fuels such as glucose and acetate.

“These were kind of indicators of mammary activity during the dry period,” she says.

The findings revealed a counterintuitive relationship. Cows whose udders remained more active during the far-off dry period tended to produce poorer colostrum.

“We found that cows that had more mammary activity during the far-off period had worse colostrum production,” Fischer-Tlustos says.

Many producers have seen these cows in the dry pen. They are the animals that never seem to fully dry off.

“We see cows in the dry pen that are like three weeks dry, and they have huge udders and they’re leaking milk still,” she says. “And I think these are those cows that have a lot of difficulty drying off, and they’re not able to get into that rest and regeneration state, which coincides with colostrogenesis.”

High milk production heading into dry-off appears to intensify the problem.

“We also found, too, that the more milk the cow made at dry off, she had more mammary activity in the far-off period, and then worse colostrum,” Fischer-Tlustos says. “This is even more exacerbated for our high producing cows, which are typically our ones that have trouble drying off.”

Nutrition and Metabolism Influence Composition

Additional work examined how prepartum nutrition influences colostrum formation. Beginning roughly 19 days before calving, primiparous and multiparous cows were fed diets with either high or low energy density.

Interestingly, the dietary treatments did not significantly affect IgG concentration or total colostrum yield. However, they did alter several other components.

Cows fed higher-energy diets produced colostrum with greater concentrations of insulin, somatic cells and sialic acid. At the same time, they had lower concentrations of total oligosaccharides.

The metabolic drivers of colostrum production also differed by parity. In first-lactation cows, colostrum yield appeared more closely linked to circulating glucose levels. Multiparous cows showed a stronger association with hormonal signaling, particularly insulin.

According to Fischer-Tlustos, these differences suggest that cows in different stages of life may rely on different metabolic pathways to support colostrum synthesis.

Rethinking Dry-Off

Another management factor that may affect colostrum development is the way cows are dried off.

According to Fischer-Tlustos, abrupt dry-off remains common practice.

“I read a review paper from 2020 that said 75% of U.S. farms are practicing abrupt dry off,” she says. “So just dry off in one day. Which is, from my standpoint, concerning from colostrum production, but that’s also really concerning for milk production.”

The challenge, she says, is that cows may not receive enough time for the mammary gland to fully transition from lactation to regeneration.

“I was trying to think of an analogy, and the Olympics were on,” she says. “You have to think they are like a pro athlete. They need to rest. They can’t just go right into the next Olympics two months later. They need a rest and regeneration period.”

Without adequate rest, the mammary gland may remain partially active during the dry period, limiting its ability to accumulate antibodies and other compounds needed for high-quality colostrum.

From Harvesting Colostrum to Developing It

Taken together, Fischer-Tlustos’ research suggests the industry may need to expand how it thinks about colostrum management.

Rather than focusing solely on the harvest and testing of colostrum at calving, her findings highlight the importance of the weeks leading up to it. Successful dry-off, controlled mammary activity and adequate time for mammary tissue to regenerate all appear to influence how colostrum develops.

For dairy producers striving to deliver consistent, high-quality colostrum to newborn calves, the most important management window may begin much earlier than previously thought. Long before the calf is born and the colostrum is harvested, the cow has already been building it.

How Two Wisconsin Dairies Rethought Calf Housing from the Ground Up

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:41:53 GMT

When a calf is born at McFarlandale Dairy or Rosy Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis., a lot of thought has already gone into where and how that calf will be raised. Both dairies have redesigned their calf housing systems to keep calves healthier, make the daily routine more efficient and improve long‑term herd performance. The farms recently shared their approaches and takeaways during a Professional Dairy Producers webinar.

However, the two farms arrived at that point through different circumstances. McFarlandale Dairy updated its calf facilities as the herd expanded and environmental compliance requirements changed. Rosy Lane Holsteins rebuilt its calf program after a fire destroyed its calf barn in 2022.

Despite those different starting points, both dairies focused on many of the same priorities: ventilation, bedding management, feeding consistency and facilities that make daily calf care easier for employees.

Designing Barns with Hutches in Mind

When Christine Bender returned to her family’s McFarlandale Dairy nine years ago, calves were raised in several different facilities across the farm. As the herd grew to roughly 1,950 milking cows across two sites, the number of replacement heifers increased as well. The decision to rebuild calf housing came as the farm updated its CAFO compliance plan.

“Basically, the DNR said you either need to put your hutches on concrete and contain everything that comes in contact with them, or put up barns,” Bender says.

The farm chose to construct new calf barns but spent several years researching options before beginning construction. Bender and her team visited dairies across the state and evaluated a wide range of housing systems, including automated feeder group housing and large multi-row calf barns. Even while looking at new technology, they continued to view calf hutches as the benchmark for calf health.

“We still believe to this day that calf hutches are probably the gold standard,” she says. “My husband made the point that the goal was to get calves as close as you can to calf hutches.”

That idea shaped the design of McFarlandale’s new facilities. Over the past two years, the farm has built four calf barns in two phases. Calves are still housed individually, but the barns are designed to mimic many of the environmental benefits of hutches while improving labor efficiency and environmental control.

Ventilation Becomes the Biggest Focus

Ventilation quickly became one of the most important management factors. The first barns were built using university guidelines recommending roughly four air exchanges per hour. After consulting with ventilation specialists, the farm began increasing airflow targets.

“For us, the biggest challenge has been ventilation,” Bender says.

Fans were adjusted to six to eight air exchanges per hour and later increased further as the team evaluated calf health data. In the newer barns, McFarlandale added larger fans and additional ventilation strategies, including large ceiling fans with reversible winter settings.

“Now we don’t ever fully close those curtains,” Bender says. “We always leave them cracked so we’re allowing more fresh air.”

The farm now aims for roughly 11 to 12 air exchanges per hour while still avoiding drafts at the calf level. Improvements in ventilation have coincided with lower treatment rates for respiratory disease in recent groups of calves.

Pen Flooring Built for Easier Cleanouts

The flooring design in the calf pens also reflects lessons from the farm’s earlier hutch system. Concrete extends a short distance into each pen, followed by a gravel base that can be removed and replaced during cleanout.

“When we clean out our pens, we scoop all that out with a skid loader and then we can put fresh gravel down,” Bender says.

This setup allows the farm to fully reset pens between groups. The new barns also make it possible to operate with an all-in, all-out calf flow, giving pens time to be cleaned and rest before the next calves enter.

Bedding and Feeding Management Evolve

Bedding management remains another important part of the program. McFarlandale relies heavily on straw for nesting during the winter months and often mixes in sawdust during warmer weather. Pens are bedded frequently to keep calves dry.

“We’ll bed probably every other day because we believe dry calves are healthy and growing calves,” Bender says.

Feeding protocols have also changed over time. What once was a twice-daily feeding schedule has evolved into a more structured system where calves are fed every eight hours. Calves typically remain on milk for about 10 weeks and stay in the calf barn until roughly 12 weeks of age before moving to the next facility.

Growth rates have improved as feeding intensity increased.

“We were probably starting at 1.5 lb. average daily gain,” Bender says. “We got to 1.8 pretty easily just by feeding more milk, and now we’ve been able to attain that 2 lb. average daily gain.”

Lung Ultrasounds to Monitor Respiratory Health

Monitoring respiratory health has also become more precise. McFarlandale Dairy uses lung ultrasound scoring to identify respiratory disease that might not be visible during daily observation.

Before adopting ultrasound screening, Bender believed pneumonia was relatively uncommon in their calves. The scans showed otherwise, identifying cases of subclinical respiratory disease that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

In the hutch system, about 25% of calves required treatment based on ultrasound results. When calves first moved into the barns, treatment rates increased as high as 50%. But as ventilation strategies were adjusted, those numbers began to decline.

More recently, treatment rates have dropped as low as 10% in some groups. The lung ultrasound scores now serve as an important management tool, helping guide treatment decisions as well as ventilation adjustments.

(Maureen Hanson)

A New Calf Barn Built Around Group Housing

Across town at Rosy Lane Holsteins, the redesign of calf housing came after a barn fire destroyed the farm’s original calf facility in 2022. The previous barn had been built in the late 1990s and housed calves in individual pens with tube ventilation. In the years leading up to the fire, the farm had already begun experimenting with paired and group housing systems while working with researchers at the University of Wisconsin.

After the fire, the farm’s partners had to decide whether to rebuild the calf facility or outsource calf raising.

“We all decided as partners that it was best to keep calves in house and raise them ourselves,” says Sam Peetz of Rosy Lane Holsteins. “Part of Rosy Lane is taking care of animals.”

Wisconsin dairy farm

(Rosy-Lane Holsteins)

The Rail Housing Choice

As the farm researched potential designs, one facility visit stood out. During a trip to South Dakota, the team toured a calf barn where calves appeared alert and active shortly after feeding. The facility used a rail housing system, where calves are individually housed in open pens along a central feed alley, a design that allows for strong airflow while keeping feeding and chores efficient.

“All the calves were up, perky, alert and eating grain,” Peetz says. “They looked awesome. It made sense to us that this was the type of system we wanted.”

The new calf barn opened in April 2025. Rosy Lane currently milks about 1,815 cows across two sites, and calves are raised on the home farm until about five months of age.

The new facility is divided into four insulated rooms, each containing eight pens with approximately 10 calves per pen. Calves move into group pens shortly after receiving colostrum and remain together until around three months of age.

The barn uses a rail feeding system that allows calves to be housed in groups while still receiving individual bottles. Each pen has headlocks and bottle holders mounted along a rail.

“We knew we liked group housing and the benefits calves get from socializing and transitioning after weaning,” Peetz says. “But we also liked feeding calves individually.”

The rail feeding system allows employees to quickly observe calf behavior during feeding and identify calves that may not be drinking well.

“We can feed calves quick and efficiently, and you can see right away if a calf drank the bottle or not,” Peetz says.

Many treatments and vaccinations can also be administered while calves remain locked in headlocks immediately after feeding, reducing the need to chase calves around the pen.

Bedding and Ventilation Keep Calves Comfortable

Bedding management was another important design consideration. Each pen measures roughly 12' by 24' and can be divided in half during cleaning. When bedding is removed, calves are temporarily moved to one side while a skid loader cleans out the other half of the pen.

“We’re cleaning that bedding every week and trying to get down to the concrete and start fresh,” Peetz says.

Ventilation in the new barn uses chimney fans similar to systems commonly found in hog and poultry facilities. Each room contains four chimney fans that create negative pressure, pulling stale air upward while fresh air enters through attic inlets.

“The idea is to move the air across the ceiling so it mixes before it gets down to calf level,” Peetz explains.

Managing airflow during seasonal weather swings can still be challenging, particularly during spring and fall when temperatures change quickly.

“The tricky part is when it warms up but the concrete is still cold underneath the calves,” he says. “How do you move that air without creating a draft?”

Peetz generally prefers higher airflow rates combined with deep bedding and calf jackets when needed.

“I’m a big believer in deep straw bedding and running eight, 10, 12 air exchanges an hour to keep fresh air down by the calves.”

Like McFarlandale, Rosy Lane relies heavily on bedding to maintain calf comfort. Straw is used extensively for young calves, although older calves may transition to corn stalk bedding depending on availability. Calves also have continuous access to water through small waterers, and water tanks are cleaned daily.

“We’re cleaning water tanks every day because baby calves need clean water,” Peetz says.

Calf Housing That Works for People and Animals

Both farms emphasize facilities must also support the people caring for the animals. Indoor barns provide protection from weather and help create a more consistent working environment for employees.

“For the employees it’s a really nice environment,” Bender says. “You’re out of the elements, and there’s a lot of natural sunlight.”

Peetz also emphasizes the importance of routines that are easy to repeat every day.

“How do you make it easy and repeatable so people do the same thing every day?” he asks.

Both dairies also stress how calf housing is only one part of a successful calf program. Much of calf health is determined before calves ever reach the barn.

At McFarlandale Dairy, Bender continues to focus on improving maternity management and colostrum protocols.

“The only time we really lose calves is within the first two days of life,” she says. “That always takes me back to maternity.”

Newborn calf_Taylor Leach

(Taylor Leach)

The farm monitors colostrum success using blood total protein testing and consistently achieves high transfer rates.

“Blood total proteins average about 96% excellent,” Bender says.

Now the farm is evaluating colostrum volume and BRIX levels more closely to determine whether adjustments are needed.

“We think we got too good at our jobs feeding really high-quality colostrum and large amounts,” she says.

Rosy Lane tracks several performance indicators in its calf program, including average daily gain, the percentage of calves that double birth weight by weaning and overall completion rate from birth to fresh heifer.

“Our ultimate goal is to get 90% of calves born alive to make it to the fresh pen as a 2 year old,” Peetz says.

Growth rates have improved in the new facility. In the previous barn, achieving 1.8 lb. of average daily gain was considered strong performance. In the new barn, calves are more often averaging around 2.2 lb. per day.

Still, Peetz emphasizes strong transitions after weaning are just as important as early growth.

“You can feed calves a lot and get good birth-to-wean gain,” he says. “The real test is transitioning them to solid feed without getting them sick.”

Built for Long-Term Success

Both farms view their new calf facilities as tools to support consistent care rather than a finished solution. Thoughtful housing paired with careful management allows them to monitor, adjust and improve calf health as the animals grow.

“You can do great the first eight weeks, but if things fall apart after that, there are still opportunities for improvement,” Bender says.

For McFarlandale Dairy and Rosy Lane Holsteins, the focus remains on continuous improvement. By creating environments that promote calf comfort, health and socialization, they are setting up animals for stronger growth, smoother weaning transitions and long-term productivity.

The Colostrum Chronicles: New Things We’ve Learned

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:04:00 GMT

There is virtually nothing more important to a newborn calf’s long-term health and performance than the timely delivery of high-quality, hygienic colostrum.

In recognition of that fact, researchers continue to study colostrum in search of ways to enhance it and perfect its delivery to calves. One such researcher is Dr. Trent Westhoff, who earned his PhD at Cornell University while investigating the nuances of colostrum.

Westhoff joined Elanco Animal Health in 2025 as a Dairy Technical Consultant. He recently presented a webinar – “Colostrum Management: Factors Influencing Yield, Quality, and Calf Health” -- on behalf of the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association . In it, he shared four recent, research-based findings that may lead to colostrum-management changes in the future:

Dry-period length influences yield and quality – Westhoff acknowledged the seasonal frustration that most dairy producers experience in the fall and winter – a dip in colostrum yield that may result in a colostrum shortage or lowering of quality standards to meet volume needs.

He and other researchers have investigated multiple factors in an effort to boost yields. The one detail that has been recognized so far in making a significant difference is dry-period length. In a study of more than 18,000 cows from 18 commercial U.S. dairies, Westhoff and his colleagues stratified cows into dry-period length of less than 47 days, 47-67 days, and greater than 67 days. They found that colostrum yield increased incrementally with each group. From a commercial production standpoint, he said the data showed managing for a 60-day dry period would yield about 5 pounds more colostrum per cow compared to aiming for a 40-day dry period.

The cows with the longest dry period also had significantly higher Brix %, an indirect assessment of colostrum IgG concentration, than the other two groups, indicating higher quality.
Oxytocin may help boost yield in first-calf heifers – In another study, Dr. Sabine Mann’s team at Cornell University explored whether administering oxytocin 45 seconds before unit attachment during colostrum harvest might help them let down more colostrum. They evaluated 636 cows in one New York herd that were milked in a rotary parlor. They looked at the quantity and quality outcomes of dosing cows intramuscularly with 0, 20, and 40 international units (IU) of oxytocin.

It made a difference in one group – the first-calf heifers that received the highest dose (40 IU) of oxytocin before their first milking. That group produced about 2.9 and 3.5 pounds more colostrum than the 20 IU group and the untreated controls, respectively, without affecting quality. The same response was not observed in second-lactation and older cows.
More is not necessarily better – Westhoff detailed a study (Frederick et al. 2025) of 88 calves that looked at the volume of colostrum delivered relative to subsequent serum IgG concentration and apparent efficiency of absorption (AEA) of immunoglobulin proteins. They examined first-feeding volumes of 6, 8, 10, and 12% of birth bodyweight. For reference, 9% of bodyweight of a 90-pound calf would equate to ~3.7 liters (~1 gallon) of colostrum, which is a standard first feeding for many dairies.

They found that serum IgG concentration increased substantially between 6% and 8% and increased numerically between 8% and 10%, but bumping that volume from 10% to 12% produced no benefit in serum IgG concentration. Meanwhile, AEA went down incrementally with each higher volume of colostrum. Based on these results, Westhoff advised feeding colostrum in the 8-10% of bodyweight range. He noted there is marginal benefit to “mega-dosing” up to 12%, and it could actually cause physical discomfort to calves to feed them that much. “If you want to get more colostrum into them, come back with a second meal,” he advised.
Heat treatment can create bacterial vulnerability – Heat-treating of colostrum can effectively reduce pathogenic bacteria levels. That can be a valuable step, because high bacteria levels have been proven to interfere with antibody absorption. But it comes with a hazard.

Westhoff said heat-treating colostrum to 140°F for 60 minutes has been shown to reduce bacteria count by a median of 93%. But a Cornell study in which he was involved (McKane et al. 2025) that looked at colostrum after heat-treating told another compelling story. They inoculated heat-treated colostrum, colostrum replacer, raw colostrum, and frozen colostrum with fecal E. coli. At 4 hours through 24 hours later, the colostrum replacer and heat-treated colostrum had significantly higher regrowth of bacteria compared to the raw and frozen samples.

The reason: “Colostrum has natural antimicrobial properties,” Westhoff explained. “When we heat-treat colostrum, we remove its ability to naturally manage that bacteria. This underscores the importance of cooling colostrum very quickly after you remove it from the heat-treatment system.”

Looking forward, Westhoff believes researchers will continue to parse the many factors in the complex system that makes up colostrum synthesis and management, with the hope of arriving at practical improvements that can be made on-farm.

As one example, he said in addition to IgG, colostrum contains valuable minerals, vitamins, hormones, immune cells, and antimicrobial peptides. “In the future, it may become possible to quantify colostrum quality with these or other factors, in addition to IgG,” he predicted.

Does Every Calf Need a Gallon of Colostrum? Not Necessarily

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:04:43 GMT

For years, feeding a gallon of colostrum shortly after birth has been considered the gold standard for calf care. It’s simple, easy to remember and straightforward to train employees to follow. But today’s calves don’t all look the same. With more variation in size, some researchers are asking whether the same volume makes sense for every newborn.

During a recent “Dairy Health Blackbelt” podcast, Dr. Sabine Mann, associate professor at Cornell University, revisited the research behind that long-standing recommendation.

“One of the questions I have gotten frequently is, why are we feeding all calves a gallon of colostrum?” she says. “It’s a pretty widespread management strategy in the U.S. And if you try to dig into the literature of why that came about, there’s actually not that much evidence that that is the best approach for every calf.”

She notes that for an average 85- to 90-pound calf, four liters is probably appropriate. But not every calf falls into that range. When birthweights vary, feeding the same volume across the board may not always match what each individual calf truly needs.

Putting the Gallon Rule to the Test

To take a closer look at the gallon recommendation, Dr. Mann and her team conducted a study on a commercial dairy in collaboration with researchers at the University of Guelph.

They began by pooling colostrum to keep quality consistent across calves. From each pool, four calves were assigned different feeding levels based on a percentage of their body weight.

“We made a big pool of colostrum, and then we assigned four calves to that pool, and one calf got 6% and one calf got 8% and one calf got 10% and one calf got 12% so that was our range, six to 12,” Mann explains.

Rather than giving every calf the same fixed volume, the team adjusted how much colostrum each calf received relative to its size.

The intent was not to create a complicated system requiring producers to weigh every calf and calculate exact doses.

“This is not meant for people to weigh each and every single one of the calves and then figure out the milliliters,” Mann says. “But it’s for us to understand, is there an effect on the calf’s ability to take up IgG into circulation. And if there is, how would we translate this into actionable recommendations on farm.”

Ultimately, the study focused on whether feeding different amounts based on body weight would influence how well calves absorb the antibodies they need early in life.

More Isn’t Always Better

The study looked at how different colostrum volumes (as a percent of body weight) affected IgG in the blood, absorption efficiency, stomach emptying and calf comfort. As expected, bigger feeds gave calves more total IgG

“We found that the more volume they got within a certain quality of colostrum, the more IgG they had in their blood, which makes sense, right? The more you give, the more you get,” Mann says.

But the benefit slowed at the highest volume, 12% of the calf’s body weight.

“There was a declining return on investment, so to say, with increasing volumes,” Mann says. “There was a steep increase from 6% to 8% to 10% of body weight, but only a very small improvement in blood IgG concentration at 12% of body weight.”

This happened because calves absorbed a smaller proportion of the IgG when fed very large amounts.

“The proportion of the IgG in colostrum that actually appears in the blood was declining, meaning that the more volume you put into them, the less proportion the calf can actually take up into that in that window of time.”

When calves get a large meal, their stomach empties more slowly, so less colostrum reaches the intestine while the gut is still “open” to IgG absorption.

“We wanted to see if different volumes affect how the stomach empties colostrum into the intestine, and timing matters because the gut is only open for IgG absorption for a limited period.”

She compared it humans overeating during a holiday meal.

“We do this around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we sit there and our belly hurts, right? Our systems know to slow down the gastric output in those situations, and that’s the same that happens in calves.”

Calf Comfort and Behavior

Dr. Mann’s team also looked at calf behavior, since small calves fed four liters often appear bloated or uncomfortable.

“We were interested in this notion from the field, and we did observe that the more volume we fed, the more we saw behavior associated with colic, like kicking the abdomen,” she says.

While lying time wasn’t significantly affected, higher volumes tended to reduce relaxed resting.

“We didn’t find a statistical effect in lying time, but those calves fed higher volumes tended to lie less in a relaxed position, similar to us at Thanksgiving,” she joked.

The “Goldilocks” Approach

When it comes to determining how much colostrum a calf truly needs, Mann describes the “Goldilocks” approach as the best option.

“I think we’re getting back to a Goldilocks approach where you want to have enough, but you don’t have to give too much,” she says. “Just the right amount is most beneficial to the calf.”

Based on this research, around 10% of a calf’s body weight is a solid target for an initial feeding. That amount provides enough immunoglobulins to support immunity without overwhelming the stomach, and it can be adjusted for smaller or larger calves.

Mann adds that while colostrum is packed with nutrients, extra benefits might be better delivered through multiple feedings rather than one very large meal.

“The nutritive value of colostrum should not be underestimated, but we also have to keep in mind the comfort of the calf,” she says. “Maybe it’s better given in separate feedings. A lot of farms have gone to feeding second feedings or even third feedings of colostrum.”

Practical Takeaways

While colostrum is essential for newborn calf health, Mann emphasizes that the goal isn’t to hit a fixed volume, but to give calves the right start while keeping them comfortable. She provides the following tips to use on the farm:

1. Know your herd’s average birth weight. “A good first step is to know the average birth weight of calves in your herd, since that can vary,” Mann says. “Once you know that, you can adjust the colostrum volume to match your average calf.”

2. Use a couple of standard volumes rather than one fixed size, “Many herds now use two standard volumes, like three liters and four liters. That way, even without a scale, you can look at a calf and decide: this one won’t be over 85 pounds, so it gets the smaller amount,” she says.

3. Consider second or third colostrum feedings. “Instead of giving all the colostrum at once, it can help to split it into two or three feedings if your farm can manage it,” Mann says. “Many people see benefits from this, though we could always use a bit more research to confirm.”

4 Tips for Assessing Hydration Status in Calves

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:56:41 GMT

Assessing dehydration status is the first step in managing a scouring calf, but it’s not as simple as assigning a percentage. Dehydration, acidemia and neurologic function do not progress at the same rate. A calf may not look profoundly dehydrated but still require intravenous correction.

Speaking at the AABP Recent Grad conference, Dr. Blake Balog, professional services veterinarian with TELUS Agriculture, outlined some tips for assessing hydration status in calves.

1. Start with the Eye

Globe recession remains one of the most reliable field indicators of dehydration, but only if it is measured correctly.

Balog recommends rolling down the lower eyelid to look for space.

“Make sure when you’re assessing that you’re rolling that lower eyelid out to a more normal position and measure that depth,” Balog says. “If it’s hitting somewhere in the 4 mm range, that’s going to be close to 8% dehydration, which is the point where we want to use IV fluids.”

Measure deliberately and determine whether oral fluids will be enough.

2. Check Peripheral Profusion

As dehydration progresses, circulation shifts centrally and causes the extremities to cool. While you could invest in an infrared thermometer, using your hands to feel whether the peripheral distal limbs are cold or cool will likely suffice.

Cold limbs alone may not indicate dehydration, but they certainly reinforce that it may be the case.

3. Separate Dehydration from Acidemia

“The level of dehydration doesn’t always linearly go along with the level of acidemia,” Balog says.

This is a crossroads at which decisions can go wrong. A calf may not appear severely dehydrated and still be acidemic. Relying on percent dehydration alone can miss calves that require escalation.

Balog suggests testing the palpebral reflex.

“When you tap that medial canthus and you get a delayed or sluggish palpebral reflex, that’s an indicator of lactic acid that’s accumulated in that animal,” Balog says.

Delayed reflexes, weakness and failure to suckle suggest metabolic compromise. If the calf cannot suckle, oral therapy alone is unlikely to be enough.

4. Use Supporting Findings

Urine concentration can reinforce your assessment. If a refractometer is available, specific gravity could be used. Otherwise, dark, concentrated urine supports systemic dehydration.

Skin tenting is another quick way to evaluate hydration. Pinch a fold of skin on the neck or around the eyes and count the number of seconds it takes to flatten. Skin flattening in less than 2 seconds indicates normal hydration, 2 to 5 seconds to flatten indicates 8% dehydration and over five seconds would indicate severe dehydration over 10%.

Placing an IV Catheter in Calves

Placing an IV catheter in a dehydrated calf can be more difficult because the skin is thick and the jugular vein does not present well.

Balog recommends focusing on mechanics.

Position the head on a downward slope.
“We’re going to have the head of that calf dropping downward. That’s going to help fill the jugular vein a little bit easier,” Balog says.

Lowering the head improves venous fill and simplifies placement.
Clip and prep generously.
Dehydrated skin offers more resistance. A wide clip and thorough prep make catheter passage smoother.
Perform a cut down incision.
“This is the key part that I think we’ll struggle with: Not doing a cut down. Cut down to me is not sawing with the scalpel blade down toward the jugular. We’re going to tent the skin up and we’re going to go straight down with our 22 blade until it finally releases through there and then we’re going to lay that down,” Balog says.

This incision is vertical and controlled, not a sweeping motion toward the vein. This is critical in dehydrated calves when the skin is super thick and difficult to get through.
Secure the catheter carefully.
Tape and suture so access remains stable during fluid delivery. Balog likes to use a butterfly catheter secured with a couple sutures. He’ll then do an additional suture up on the head so the line remains straight.

The goal is straightforward: assess accurately and intervene appropriately. When dehydration approaches 8% or acidemia affects function, oral therapy may not be sufficient. At that point, gain access, deliver fluids and reassess.

Neonatal Calf Distress: Managing the First 24 Hours

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:11:17 GMT

The first 24 hours of life represent the most vulnerable period a calf will ever experience, where oxygen deprivation, metabolic acidosis, trauma and pain can quickly overwhelm an already compromised neonate. Managing neonatal distress involves early detection, rapid assessment and decisive intervention.

Many distressed calves arrive compromised. Prolonged calving, excessive traction or repeated premature intervention increase the likelihood of hypoxia, trauma and delayed physiologic recovery. A live calf is not necessarily a stable calf. Distress is often subtle in the first minutes and can be missed if assessment relies solely on heart rate or movement.

Dr. Ryan Breuer of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine outlined the following early indicators of neonatal distress:

Delayed head lifting or failure to achieve sternal recumbency
Irregular, shallow or gasping respiration
Blue or pale mucous membranes
Meconium staining
Swollen head or tongue

“If calves are not trying to get up or won’t stay in sternal recumbency after 15 minutes, these calves have a very poor prognosis,” Breuer says. These calves need immediate veterinary care and are often experiencing combined hypoxia and metabolic acidosis.

“Acid is toxic to the brain and can cause scarring and neurologic death to the brain tissue,” adds Breuer, listing blindness as a neurologic sign to look out for. “These animals can’t see, or they’ll start stargazing, tipping their nose to the sky.”

Respiratory Distress: The Primary Emergency

Respiratory compromise is the most immediate life-threatening component of neonatal distress. Newborn lungs have never expanded, and even mild impairment can prevent adequate oxygen exchange.

“Open mouth and flaring nostrils are signs of respiratory distress,” explains Breuer, adding that blue tinged or cyanotic mucous membranes are also indicators that the calf is not getting enough oxygen. “If the heart rate is less than 50 beats per minute and falling, intervention is going to be needed to save them.”

Calves in respiratory distress should be placed in sternal recumbency to maximize lung expansion. Physical stimulation including vigorous rubbing, nasal septum stimulation or pressure on the nasal philtrum can trigger inspiratory reflexes and help initiate more effective breathing.

Other Distress Indicators in Calves

Meconium staining is a visible indicator that the calf experienced distress before delivery. Passage of the meconium into the uterus typically reflects prolonged time in the birth canal or delayed delivery.

“Now that the amniotic sac has ruptured, there’s mixing of the waste and what the calf is submerged in,” Breuer says. “This can cause issues down the road because it can cause difficulties in cleaning that airway.”

Calves born with meconium staining are more likely to experience respiratory compromise, difficulty clearing airways and delayed stabilization after birth.

Trauma from dystocia can contribute to pain, reduced movement, impaired breathing mechanics and delayed recovery. Swelling of the head, tongue and soft tissues can further compromise airways and oxygen delivery.

Ongoing Monitoring Through the First 24 Hours

Calves that survive an initial distress event remain at elevated risk through the first 24 hours of life. Ongoing monitoring for declining vigor, abnormal respiration or changes in responsiveness is essential as early compromise often evolves rather than resolves.

Many calves that survive neonatal distress reappear later as poor performers, respiratory cases or unexplained losses. Effective neonatal distress management is not about saving every calf but about recognizing when intervention can still alter the outcome and preventing avoidable compromise. The first 24 hours determine which calves stabilize and recover and which never fully catch up.

To learn more about the first 24 hours of neonatal calf care among other topics, check out the Dairy Cattle Welfare Council webinar series .

Life on the Highway: A Road Map for Better Beef-on-Dairy Calf Transport

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:56:19 GMT

Many dairy producers are producing more beef-on-dairy calves, but these animals typically remain on the farm for only a short time before being moved to their next destination. This early movement often happens before calves are fully prepared for the challenges of transport, which can impact their health and performance down the line.

Transporting young calves is becoming a bigger concern, says Catie Cramer, associate professor in animal sciences at Colorado State University. She says there is still a lot to learn and that what works for one dairy might not work for another. That early preparation matters to calf buyers, who can tell when calves arrive stressed or behind, putting them at a disadvantage right from the start.

“Young calf transport is a bit of a hot topic right now,” Cramer says. “There’s still a lot we don’t know, and we need more research. Every operation is different, so decisions really need to be based on what the data shows for each farm.”

In the past, beef-on-dairy calves often didn’t receive the same level of attention as replacement heifers. While that mindset is starting to shift, Cramer notes its effects can still be seen in the data today.

On a national level, about 80% of these calves are transported off-site at less than a week of age, and many are moved even sooner.

“In a study we did, we actually found that the majority of those calves were leaving the dairy at less than 24 hours of age,” she says.

Rather than moving directly to one destination, calves often pass through multiple marketing steps before they arrive.

“Sometimes they can go through an auction or calf jockey, and they may be marketed up to four times before they reach their final destination,” Cramer says. “Each added stop increases stress, disease exposure and management challenges.”

Protecting Calves During a Vulnerable Window

Calves are often transported at a time when they’re most sensitive to stress. During their first weeks, their immune system depends almost entirely on antibodies from colostrum.

“That calf really doesn’t have high levels of fully functional active immunity until towards the end of preweaning,” Cramer says.

Because of how the immune system develops, there is a window of susceptibility, typically around 2 to 3 weeks of age, when colostrum-derived antibodies are declining and the calf’s own immune response is just ramping up. Colostrum quality and management directly shape the length and severity of that window.

“If we have excellent transfer of passive immunity, that window of susceptibility is going to be slightly shorter and that colostrum is actually going to offer protection for longer,” Cramer says. “But if we don’t do a good job at providing excellent colostrum, that window is actually longer, and it can be earlier.”

The first 24 hours of life and how colostrum is handled set the stage for how well calves can survive and thrive during transport and beyond. That’s why it’s so important for dairy producers to feed beef-on-dairy calves high-quality colostrum within the first two to four hours after birth.

The Stress Factors in Calf Transport

Transportation in livestock has long been recognized as stressful, and calves are no exception. The journey can expose them to a variety of challenges all at once, including changes in environment, handling by unfamiliar people, loading and unloading and the motion of travel itself.

Cramer points out that each of these factors can add up, and she lists a series of potential stressors that calves can face during transport:

Extreme heat or cold
Rough or improper handling
Lack of bedding
Pathogen exposure
No access to milk or water on the trailer

“For the calf, this stress can result in dehydration, discomfort, disease, energy depletion, fear, hunger, injury, thermal stress and thirst,” she says. “All of those are not only welfare concerns, but they can affect the productivity of that animal as well.”

Challenges Start Before the Trip

Those challenges can be even greater when calves leave the farm already off to a rough start. Data from surveys and field studies show that many calves are shipped dehydrated, scouring or with inflamed navels and depressed attitudes.

In a Colorado study assessing calves at loading, most less than 24 hours old, almost half had at least one health abnormality. Survey data showed that a substantial proportion of producers would still ship calves with diarrhea, dehydration, navel inflammation or insufficient colostrum intake.

According to Cramer, these choices have predictable, serious consequences.

“If calves had naval inflammation at the source dairy, they were 2.8 times as likely to get diarrhea at the calf raiser,” she says. “If they were dull or depressed at the dairy, they were 2.5 times more likely to die at the calf raiser.”

Similar patterns show up at auctions and final destinations. One Canadian study found 20% of calves arriving at auctions had at least one serious condition such as navel disease, discharge, depression or inability to stand. A U.S. study of bob veal calves reported that 96% had at least one abnormal condition, and 82% had at least two, including low blood sugar, dehydration, thin body condition, failed transfer of passive immunity and depression. In Colorado, more than 56% of calves were dehydrated getting off the trailer.

A Road Map for Change

Cramer offers practical steps to help calves do better before, during and after transport. She shares six strategies, pointing out that the first four are “things we can and we should do now.”

Preconditioning at the source dairy:
- Excellent colostrum management (Ex: 3 qt. at ≥25% Brix within two hours, followed by 2 liters at ≥22% Brix 12 hours later.)
- Rigorous navel disinfection and clean environments to prevent umbilical infections.
- Providing milk and water as close to loading as possible.
Assessing fitness for transport:
Calves should only be shipped when they are well hydrated, vigorous, able to stand and have received high-quality colostrum and navel care.
Handling with care and providing adequate bedding and lying space:
Calves under a week of age spend over 70% of their time on the trailer lying down, so every calf must have space and deep, dry bedding. Timing shipments to avoid thermal extremes and adjusting bedding and ventilation accordingly can further reduce stress.
Post-transport care:
When calves arrive, they should be checked carefully and given the care they need instead of automatically getting antibiotics. Cramer says research shows feeding milk replacer with electrolytes for the first two days after transport keeps them better hydrated and gives more energy than electrolytes alone.

The final two strategies are more challenging but potentially transformative:

Retaining calves on the source dairy longer:
Studies show calves transported at ≥7 days of age have better average daily gain and lower respiratory disease than those shipped at 2 to 6 days. In a U.S. study, each extra day at the dairy reduced the odds of dehydration before transport fivefold.
Reducing transport duration and number of events:
Longer trips can lead to dehydration, weight loss and diarrhea that can last up to two weeks. Cramer says distance doesn’t always match travel time, as pickup routes can keep calves on trailers for many hours longer than the direct trip.

Next Steps

Cramer emphasizes improving outcomes for beef-on-dairy calves starts with better communication across the supply chain, clear training for those handling calves and a shared commitment to reducing stress at every stage.

“Transportation in early life can create a bottleneck for calf health and performance,” she says, “but careful management can reduce stress and help calves thrive if we do things right.”

Waste Milk Feeding Alters Calf Immune Development

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:05:31 GMT

For many dairies, feeding waste milk — milk that can’t be sold because of antibiotic residues, high somatic cell counts or other quality issues — is an appealing way to save on calf-rearing costs. It’s calorie-rich, familiar to calves and readily available. However, waste milk is one of the least standardized inputs in calf nutrition as it varies in microbial load, drug residues and inflammatory components. While the short-term economics are easy to calculate, the potential biological impact is less clear.

Most evaluations of waste milk stop at visible outcomes like growth rates or scours. What’s harder to see is how early antigen exposure shapes immune development below the surface. New research from the University of São Paulo shows the immune system of a growing Holstein calf responds differently depending on whether it’s fed salable milk (SM), pasteurized waste milk (PWM) or raw waste milk (WM).

In the study, 30 calves were raised on one of these three liquid diets for the first nine weeks of life and regularly sampled for immune markers and cellular responses. Although overall health scores (temperature, diarrhea prevalence, respiratory signs) didn’t differ among groups, the internal immune story was much more revealing.

Immune Cell Counts and Cytokines Shift With Waste Milk Feeding

Calves fed PWM and WM showed consistent differences in systemic immune markers:

Serum total protein and Brix values were higher in WM calves.
Total protein and Brix are composite biomarkers influenced by both innate inflammatory response and adaptive humoral immunity. This observed increase likely represents innate immune responses associated with increased microbial and antigen exposure.

Plasma IgG concentrations did not differ by diet.
Levels followed the expected passive transfer pattern in all groups, with a decline at 21 days as maternal antibodies waned.

PWM and WM calves exhibited increased circulating immune cell numbers.
Lymphocyte and total mononuclear cell counts were higher compared to SM calves, but these did not translate into greater immune function. Immune cell proliferation in response to bacterial challenge was not impacted by liquid diet.

Cytokine profiles differed by diet.
SM and PWM calves produced more IL-10, a regulatory cytokine, while WM calves showed higher IL-17, consistent with a more pro-inflammatory profile.

What These Findings Mean for Calf Health Decisions

Together, these findings suggest waste milk feeding alters immune development in subtle but meaningful ways, even when calves appear outwardly healthy.

Several implications stand out:

Waste milk is not immunologically neutral.
It exposes calves to greater antigenic stimulation, increasing immune cell numbers and inflammatory signaling without improving functional responsiveness.

Higher TP and Brix values should be interpreted cautiously.
In WM calves, these markers likely reflect inflammatory proteins rather than improved humoral immunity.

Pasteurization reduces, but does not eliminate, immune effects.
PWM calves consistently showed intermediate immune profiles between SM and WM, supporting pasteurization as a risk-mitigation step rather than a complete solution.

Early immune skewing might matter most under stress.
An immune system biased toward activation rather than regulation could respond differently during weaning, transport, pathogen exposure or vaccination.

Diet quality is part of immune programming.
Liquid diet decisions influence not just growth and scours but how the calf immune system is shaped during a critical developmental window.

While this study did not directly assess long-term health or vaccine outcomes, it reinforces an important message for calf programs: What calves drink early in life can influence how their immune systems are wired.

Rethink the First Feeding: Calf Health Begins with Smarter Colostrum Strategies

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:16:06 GMT

For decades, dairy producers have fed newborn calves based on standard protocols for first-milking colostrum, but as Dr. Donald Sockett and Dr. Ryan Breuer from the University of Wisconsin noted on a recent Raising Your Best Dairy Heifer webinar, the underlying assumptions might be due for revision.

“The current colostrum feeding guidelines that are considered best practices today were developed a little more than two decades ago,” Breuer says. “So we’ve had some time to observe what’s going on with it and whether we need to make some changes or not.”

Sockett explains that the conventional gold standard of 50 grams of immunoglobulin G (IgG) per liter, which the guidelines are based on, was reasonable back then, but times have changed.

“The average here is 75 g to 95 g per liter,” he says. “Why would we build a program around fair [quality] colostrum?”

Because calves are receiving colostrum of higher quality than what the older guidelines are built around, feeding volumes and methods might need adjustment.

In a recent case report , Sockett and Breuer described a Holstein heifer that received what is considered best practice for colostrum delivery based on 10% body weight: 4 liters of first-milking colostrum 30 minutes after birth and an additional 2 liters six hours after the first feeding. Shortly after the second feeding, the calf developed colic and was in apparent pain. This animal was humanely euthanized less than 24 hours later after a lack of response to on-farm medical care.

According to the attending veterinarian, this was not a one-off case.

“This wasn’t the only calf at this dairy,” Breuer says. “The veterinarian had also seen similar situations at other dairies where these calves, after the recommended colostrum feeding, had distress or colic.”

Upon necropsy, they noticed incidents of aspiration in the lungs. It was concluded aspiration pneumonia killed the calf after some colostrum was regurgitated due to a distended abomasum from colostrum volume.

This report emphasizes the need to reevaluate colostrum feeding standards.

In September, Frederick and colleagues from Cornell University published a study looking into the effects of feeding colostrum at 6%, 8%, 10% or 12% of a calf’s body weight on IgG absorption, gastric emptying and postfeeding behavior.

Gastric emptying is an important factor as no colostrum absorption occurs in the abomasum. Passage to the small intestine in a timely manner before absorption efficiency goes down is key. Calves fed at 10% and 15% of their body weight had significantly lower apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG rates and showed significantly more behavioral signs of discomfort (abdomen kicks) than those fed 6% and 8%.

“So yes, you’re feeding a bigger mass of immunoglobulin when you feed these larger body weight [percentages], but if your efficiency of absorption is going down and you have these health complications, is that really the best thing for the calf?” Sockett says.

A study of 818 calves across 61 Holstein dairy farms by Morin and colleagues at the University of Montreal looked into how colostrum management practices impacted transfer of passive immunity (TPI). They found that the No. 1 factor affecting apparent IgG absorption was the concentration of IgG in the colostrum, or colostrum quality. Calves fed colostrum with a Brix value over 24.5% were almost three times more likely to have received adequate TPI. Additionally, calves fed equal to or greater than 2.5 liters of colostrum at their first meal (notably less than 10% of the calves body weight) within three hours of birth had the highest odds of receiving adequate TPI.

This adds weight to Sockett’s assertion.

“Think about our recommendation standards,” he says. “We haven’t even been talking about the two most important variables of effective efficiency of colostrum absorption. We have to start thinking about the quality of the colostrum and the mass of colostrum being delivered.”

If you’re creating a colostrum feeding program for a dairy operation, Sockett and Breuer recommend collecting a database of information of what’s going on in the herd. Answer the following questions to tailor the program to your farm:

What is the average birth weight of the calves? What are the lightest and heaviest animals?
Are you feeding pooled or individual colostrum?
What is the normal weight of the colostrum?
What is the mean and standard deviation of the Brix scores?
What is the timing of first colostrum delivery?
What are your TPI goals?

The idea is not to abandon colostrum best practices but to update them strategically. By refining colostrum feeding protocols, verifying colostrum quality, aligning volume with body weight and monitoring outcomes, dairy operations can create their own evidence-based practice. The result? Healthier calves, fewer complications and better use of that liquid gold.

$4 Feeder Cattle: Dream or Reality?

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:50:41 GMT

As October draws to a close, U.S. officials are reportedly going to meet with Mexican counterparts this week to talk about reopening the border . The possibility of trade resuming, coupled with President Donald Trump’s comments on lowering beef prices and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ announcement to “fortify the beef industry,” sent the cattle market spiraling in recent days.

Despite the downturn, the fundamentals haven’t changed: reduced supply and strong consumer demand are fueling record-high market prices.

“The reduction in available supply and robust beef demand to-date has clearly provided price support,” says Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University professor of agricultural economics. “Tied to that is the biggest risk in my opinion — beef demand. Anything that erodes beef demand strength, most likely macroeconomic and consumer income in nature in my opinion, will put downward pressure on cattle of all weight classes.”

Tonsor says he never gave $4 much thought until the past couple of years.

“If we adjust for inflation or consider production costs, $4 feeders aren’t what they used to be. It takes $4-plus feeders to generate the net returns we used to get from lower prices,” he explains. “These are profitable prices for ranchers — and it’s about time.”

Tonsor predicts feeder cattle prices to continue under current conditions but does not predict increased profitability due to increasing operating costs.

“The 2025 bull market has been exceptional by every measure,” summarizes Lance Zimmerman, RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness senior beef industry analyst. “500-lb. steer prices are now more than 50% higher than last year, and 800-lb. steer prices are nearly there at just under a 50% price increase year-over-year.”

As a frame of reference, the CME feeder cattle cash index, which captures the average 700 lb. to 899 lb. steer price, averaged $367.08/cwt. the week of Oct. 20. This fall, livestock auction markets across the country have reported lightweight feeder cattle surpassing the $4 mark.

“I think it is entirely possible for feeder cattle to get to $4,” says Don Close, Terrain Ag senior animal protein analyst. “However, I think it will be late summer and fall 2026.”

According to Close, there are three critical components for feeder prices today:
1. Mexican border reopening
2. What disruptions could come to the beef-on-dairy supply
3. Feed prices

“Of that list, Mexico border closure is the real wild card,” he explains. “I don’t see a measurable disruption to beef-on-dairy or feed costs in the near term.”

When Will We Hit the High?

Oklahoma State University’s Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist, explains the highest average prices are likely a year or more after heifer retention begins.

“We don’t have any confirmation heifer retention has started to any significant level in 2025,” Peel says. “We have already pushed off any signs of herd rebuilding by one to two years longer than I earlier expected, and we are looking at extending it another year if heifer retention does not start in the fourth quarter. Because the response has been much slower this time than previous cattle cycles, prices have certainly gone higher than I would have expected a year or two ago — though I did expect record-high prices.”

Peel predicts the next expansion phase will be different than the 2014-19 expansion cycle.

“The 2014-19 herd expansion was historically rapid, this current one is historically slow,” he says. “It is a combination of a lengthy list of factors that combine to make this a slow response, and it looks like it will remain a slow, lengthy process.”

Close shares his thoughts on the complexities of the current cycle:

Drought and economic stress. “As an industry, we didn’t fully recognize the severity of the drought as well as the degree of economic stress to the sector,” he says. “The fallout of the 2014 to 2015 price drop is still fresh on producers’ minds, so they have been using the prices of the past three years to get balance sheets in order, pay down debt and now are starting to make capital improvements.”
Producer age. “The average age of cow owners is a factor, so many have used current prices to liquidate and retire,” he says.
Female costs. “Replacement female prices that range from $3,000 to $5,000 restricts and scares some away,” he says. “That is only compounded with the addition of current interest rates.”
Cow size. The escalation in average cow size limits how many cows can run on a given unit of pasture.“
Land. “You hear producers make comments on the difficulty to find additional pasture in order to expand,” he says.

“This cycle has been driven or limited from a combination of all the above,” he says. “Our view is we need to rebuild by 2 to 2.5 million head. Keep in mind, given the escalation in carcass weights, we don’t need as many cattle to produce an equal quantity of beef.”

Close adds his thoughts regarding the impact of last week.

“Given all of the turmoil over the past week it is going to be even more difficult to trigger expansion,” he says. “There is no work around for destroyed producer confidence. I think current market action will further delay expansion.”

Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor Predicts Bull Market to Continue

Cattle prices are expected to stay high well into 2026, according to the latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor from Farm Journal. Nearly half of agricultural economists surveyed (47%) believe the current bull market in cattle could continue another 19 to 24 months, while another 27% say it could last 13 to 18 months. Only 7% expect prices to peak within the next six months.

“This run isn’t over,” one economist wrote. “At current prices we will see no or little herd expansion.” Another adds the fundamental supply side remains tight: “Clear signals that domestic beef production is increasing may be the key catalyst for a market top.”

“This is a nature of biology to some extent, it takes a while once you even start to retain a heifer for that heifer to produce a calf that then becomes a feeder calf that then becomes a fed calf that then becomes beef at the grocery store itself,” says Ben Brown, an Extension economist with the University of Missouri. “I don’t think we’ve seen necessarily the top of this cattle market yet.”

Even if cattle prices are close to seeing a top, that doesn’t mean prices will crash, he adds.

October Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

(Lindsey Pound)

What Could End the Rally?

When asked what might trigger a peak in cattle prices, responses to the Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor were mixed — but demand destruction and herd rebuilding topped the list. Economists were asked to choose between five options, including:

The reopening of the U.S./Mexico border to Mexican feeder cattle imports
U.S. economic concerns with fallout from trade tensions with China
Removal of tariffs that would resume high levels of beef imports from Brazil
Demand destruction in the U.S. market

One respondent notes, “All of the above are relevant, but clear signals that domestic beef production is increasing may be more important.” Others pointed to a slowing U.S. economy or producers “beginning to hold back replacement heifers” as potential turning points.

“I have no idea what creates the top, but at current prices, we will see no/little herd expansion,” adds yet another economist.

“Beef Prices Can Stay High Longer Than Most Expect”

Economists agree the U.S. cattle market remains fundamentally strong, supported by limited supplies, robust export demand and solid retail prices. However, they caution the same forces keeping prices high — tight herds, high feed costs and inflation — could eventually cool the rally.

As one economist sums it up: “Beef prices can stay high longer than most expect — until consumers finally say ‘enough.’ That’s when we’ll see the turn.”

Insights into Calf Mortality at Commercial Calf Ranches

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:52:21 GMT

As the dairy industry embraces beef-on-dairy crossbreeding, a new type of animal is reshaping the U.S. calf and feedlot landscape. These calves, born on dairies but destined for the beef supply chain, are prized for their hybrid vigor, growth potential and carcass quality. Their journey often includes an early stay at commercial calf ranches, where young calves are reared in large groups under varying environmental and management conditions.

While these specialized facilities play a key role in raising thousands of calves efficiently, they also present unique animal health challenges. Calves arrive from multiple dairies, often within days of birth, and face stresses from transport, commingling and pathogen exposure. The industry has long suspected that respiratory disease dominates mortality at these sites, but until recently, detailed, systematic data to confirm those patterns were limited.

A new study by Rebecca Bigelow and colleagues from Kansas State University set out to change that. The study compiles data from over 240 necropsies performed across four different commercial calf ranches over a 12-month period documenting cause of death, concurrent conditions and whether these patterns shifted by season, sex, breed or location. These necropsies included both beef-dairy cross (152) and dairy calves (91). Their findings confirm respiratory disease is indeed the leading cause of death, but they also shed light on gastrointestinal (GI) disease and septicemia. Their work provides a valuable benchmark for working to improve early-life calf health.

Of the 243 necropsied calves, 67.5% of them had a primary diagnosis of respiratory disease. Gastrointestinal causes accounted for 11.5%, septicemia for 9.5%, and miscellaneous cases (including trauma, umbilical infection and liver abscesses) for the remaining 11.5%.

Most calves had no additional comorbidities recorded, but among those that did, respiratory plus another condition was the most common combination. Within the respiratory category, bronchopneumonia represented nearly 90% of cases, while bronchopneumonia with interstitial pattern was less frequent. Considering GI lesions, 49% of calves had no lesions, while 21% had upper GI lesions (rumen and abomasum), 13% had lower GI lesions (small and large intestine), and 30% had both.

One of the study’s more surprising findings was what didn’t change. Statistical modeling showed no significant associations between the likelihood of respiratory or GI diagnoses and season, sex, breed or ranch. This result suggests the underlying disease pressures in these systems are persistent year-round rather than being driven by environmental conditions or genetic background. Further, beef-dairy cross calves had no improved disease resistance compared to dairy calves under commercial rearing conditions.

These results can be summarized into the following takeaway points for animal caretakers:

Prioritize respiratory prevention.

With two thirds of deaths linked to respiratory causes, calf ranches must focus on preventative strategies: proper ventilation, gradual group transitions and consistent monitoring for early signs of respiratory illness. Review vaccination programs and align them for protection at times of stress and exposure.

Necropsies pay off.

Routine necropsy programs can help producers spot emerging disease trends before they escalate.

Maintain consistent management year-round.

Prevention and monitoring must remain equally rigorous through all seasons, not just in winter or transport peaks.

Collaborate across the production chain.

Calf health outcomes at ranches depend on colostrum management, navel care and nutrition practices at the dairy of origin, as well as transport and receiving protocols. Strong communication between dairies, calf ranches and veterinarians ensures continuity of care.

Understanding Umbilical Health in Calves

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:51:44 GMT

Umbilical health might seem routine, but what happens at the navel in the first few days of life can shape a calf’s future health and productivity. The umbilicus isn’t just an anatomical leftover from fetal life; it’s a critical gateway for infection and a window into broader calf health and welfare.

After birth, the umbilical cord should naturally dry and detach. However, until proper drying has occurred, it acts as an open pathway for pathogen entry. When bacteria colonize that space, it results in omphalitis, or infection of the umbilical area, which could manifest as naval ill, urachal infection or full-thickness abscesses. Left unchecked, infection can spread into the bloodstream, increasing the risk of more severe illness.

Despite being often overlooked, naval infections are the third most common cause of disease. The reported prevalence of umbilical infection ranges widely from ~1% in older research to ~30% in more recent studies. These variations underscore how inconsistent case definitions and diagnostic criteria are and how much space for improvement there is.

Most naval infections happen within the first two weeks of life, with seven to 14 days of age being where you see the peak occurrence.

Signs of a healthy umbilical cord

Dry, shriveled and inflexible
No swelling, heat, pain, discharge or foul odor
By one week of age, it should be about the size of your thumb

Signs of an unhealthy umbilical cord

Swollen, especially if larger than 1.5 cm in diameter
Hot to the touch
Painful when touched; the calf might flinch or kick
Discharge, pus or a foul smell
Moist or wet

Umbilical Health Risk Factors

The conditions surrounding calving have the greatest influence on umbilical health. A clean, dry environment minimizes bacterial exposure to the severed cord, while damp or dirty bedding creates ideal conditions for infection. Calves born in unsanitary or overcrowded maternity areas are at a higher risk of infection.

Difficult or assisted births compound this risk. Prolonged delivery increases umbilical trauma and delays cord closure, creating a route for pathogen invasion. Heavier calves often experience greater strain and tissue damage around the umbilicus due to more difficult births.

Male calves tend to be at a higher risk of umbilical infection due to the location of the male urinary tract meatus contributing to wetness of the umbilical area.

Prevention and Management of Umbilical Infection

When asked how producers could address umbilical health, Dr. Dave Renaud of the Ontario Veterinary College offered the following on “The Healthy Calf” podcast :

“If you look at umbilical infections, they do have really serious repercussions. Calves with an umbilical infection have an increased risk of mortality,” he says. “They have reduced daily gain. They have reduced survival to first lactation … Going out and getting an understanding of how common it is on your farm is really the first step towards knowing if you need to put different prevention methods in place.”

Disinfect immediately: After birth, disinfect the stump with a navel dip with 2% chlorhexidine or 7% iodine, as soon as the calf is breathing well.
Provide clean housing: Keep the maternity and calf housing areas clean and dry to minimize exposure to pathogens.
Monitor daily: Check the navel at least once daily for the first week for any signs of infection.
Consult a veterinarian: If you suspect an infection, consult your veterinarian to develop a treatment plan, especially for more severe cases involving hernias or systemic infections.
Avoid transport: Do not transport calves with a “wet” navel as they are vulnerable to infection. Wait until the umbilical cord has fallen off and there is no evidence of infection.

Harness the Full Potential of Your BRD Vaccine with the Right Adjuvant

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:03:14 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the greatest threats to young calves, and gaining protection through vaccines isn’t always straightforward. Maternal antibodies, passed through colostrum, can block some vaccines from boosting immunity. The key to overcoming that hurdle? Choosing a vaccine with the right adjuvant.

Maternal Antibodies Can Interfere with Vaccines

“Years ago, vaccine response was so variable in young calves,” says Curt Vlietstra, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “At the time, we didn’t know if their immune system simply wasn’t ready, or if there was a problem with the vaccines. With the research we have now, we understand that the majority of interference comes from maternal antibodies that are still present in the calf at the time of vaccination.”

Passed down from the cow via colostrum, maternal antibodies are not only a calf’s first line of defense against disease, but they also have the tendency to neutralize vaccines.

Those maternal antibodies naturally wane when the calf is between 2 and 6 months of age. As this maternal immunity dwindles, vaccination becomes critical in boosting and building calf immunity. The largest challenge in bridging these two forms of immunity is timing. Chris Chase, DVM, Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, says finding a vaccine with the right adjuvant can eliminate this guessing game.

Adjuvants Are Critical to Capturing Immunity in Young Calves

Adjuvants — although often overlooked — can determine whether a calf successfully develops a robust, lasting immune response, or remains vulnerable to BRD pressure. They work by drawing immune cells to the injection site, and helping the calf’s body recognize and remember the vaccine. Some adjuvants also slow the release of the vaccine, giving the immune system more time to respond.

“With the types of adjuvants we have now, we can get strong, long-lasting immune responses, even in calves with maternal antibodies,” Chase shares. “Although, just because a vaccine label says ‘adjuvanted’ doesn’t mean it offers the protection we need. It’s important that we ask what kind of adjuvant it is and what it’s proven to do.”

Over the last few decades, peer-reviewed studies and fieldwork have shown that Pyramid ^® vaccines can succeed, even in the face of maternal immunity, thanks to its unique adjuvant, Metasim^®. Specifically designed to address the challenges of early calfhood vaccination, the dual-phase technology of the Metasim adjuvant can stimulate a balanced, robust immune response in calves as young as 30 days of age.

(Boehringer Ingelheim)

“Historically, it was accepted as fact that maternal antibodies would block the injectable vaccine,” Vlietstra says. “Now we know Metasim works alongside the preexisting antibodies, not against them.”

Systemic Immunity Builds Long-Lasting Protection

Another key factor in vaccine selection is delivery method. For a time, intranasal vaccines were thought to be the only effective option to protect young calves against BRD. While intranasal vaccines can offer local immunity for calves at risk of BRD exposure soon after birth, some may miss the opportunity to stimulate robust, systemic immunity.

While local immunity helps block infection right where it starts (which is usually in the respiratory tract with BRD), systemic immunity is what builds broad, long-lasting protection, by training the calf’s entire immune system to respond.

When calves encounter BRD pathogens weeks or even months after vaccination, a strong systemic immune response helps them recognize and fight off infection more effectively, reducing severity of disease and its long-term impact on health and performance.

“In some ways, we’ve become very reliant on intranasals,” Vlietstra notes . “I’ve seen protocols that say, ‘This calf may not respond to an injectable, so let’s give another intranasal.’ That choice ends up potentially delaying systemic protection.”

Injectable vaccines with the right adjuvant have been proven to stimulate both local immunity in the respiratory tract, and systemic immunity that circulates in the bloodstream.

Even the Best Vaccine Needs Correct Timing and Care

“There are plenty of producers and veterinarians who have firsthand experience of vaccines not working,” Vlietstra says. “If we’re not seeing results, it’s time to evaluate how we’re using the product and when.”

It’s common to schedule vaccination alongside other times calves are being worked, like weaning or transportation. While this may save labor and time up front, vaccinating calves during other stressful events can limit immune response.

“If cattle have had a long truck ride, ideally, we’d let them unload and rest for 24 to 48 hours before we vaccinate,” Chase explains. “I know not all operations have the resources to do this due to labor constraints, but water and rest time after a stressful event will set cattle up for a better immune response.”

To get the most of any vaccination program, good animal handling, husbandry and biosecurity protocols play a role in preventing and controlling BRD. By staying on top of health management and using products according to label, vaccines are more likely to capture desired results.

“The world’s best vaccine is not going to overcome overwhelming challenges,” Chase stresses.

The needs of every herd are different. Working closely with a veterinarian is key to finding success tailored to your cattle and operation.

Be Aware: Dangerous Asian Longhorned Tick Continues Migrating West

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:42:45 GMT

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) poses a serious threat to cattle health. ALHTs carry Theileria, which is a protozoan parasite that infects red and white blood cells. It can lead to anemia and, in some cases, death.

ALHTs are native to eastern Asia, eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea but were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and western Pacific Islands. In other countries, it can also be called a bush tick, cattle tick or scrub tick.

In the U.S., ALHT was first detected in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to more than 20 states with recent confirmations in Illinois , Michigan and Iowa .

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ALHTs are known to carry pathogens, which can cause disease and may also cause distress to the host from their feeding in large numbers. For example, a dairy cow may have a 25% decrease in milk production after becoming a host.

A female can reproduce without a mate and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time. This can cause great stress on a heavily infested animal and result in reduced growth and production. A severe infestation can kill the animal from excessive blood loss.

Asian longhorned tick life stages and relative actual size.

(Photos of unfed ticks by Centers for Disease Control. Photos of engorged ticks by Jim Occi, Rutgers, Center for Vector Biology.)

What does it look like?

Unfed ALHTs range from a light reddish-tan to a dark red with brown, dark markings. While the adult female grows to the size of a pea when full of blood, other stages of the tick are very small — about the size of a sesame seed.

Adult females are a grey-green with yellowish markings. Male ticks are rare.

APHIS reports it only takes a single tick to create a population in a new location.

The above photos are of a AHLT engorged (on the left) and an adult AHLT not engorged.

(New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

ALHTs need warm-blooded hosts to feed and survive. They have been found on various species of domestic animals — such as sheep, goats, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens — and wildlife. The tick has also been found on people.

What are the health risks?

APHIS says ALHTs are not known to carry Lyme disease, but they can cause tickborne diseases affecting humans and animals such as:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Heartland virus
Powassan virus

APHIS says those diseases have not been confirmed outside of a laboratory setting in the U.S. In addition, U.S. ALHT populations can transmit U.S. Theileria orientalis Ikeda strain (Cattle theileriosis) in the laboratory.

In an Iowa State University release , Grant Dewell, Extension beef veterinarian and associate professor, says cattle affected by Theileriosis will show signs of lethargy, anemia and difficulty breathing. They may develop ventral edema, exercise intolerance, jaundice and abortions.

“Although signs of Theileriosis are similar to anaplasmosis, younger animals and calves often display more severe signs compared to mature cows and bulls,” he says. “Due to anemia from both tick infestation and Theileria, the risk of death can be elevated. If cattle producers suspect either Theileria or ALHT, have a veterinarian collect appropriate samples and submit them to a veterinary diagnostic lab.”

According to an Oklahoma State University press release , under laboratory conditions ALHT is a competent vector of numerous pathogens that can cause disease in humans, including Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Heartland Virus and Powassan Virus.

In “ Clinical Infectious Diseases, ” Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSC, with the division of clinical microbiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported a human bite that occurred in New York in 2019. She says though the report of a human bite isn’t surprising, it proves the invasive longhorned tick continues to bite hosts in its newest location.

“This is extremely worrisome for several reasons,” she writes. “One reason is Asian longhorned ticks can carry several important human pathogens, including the potentially fatal severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus and Rickettsia japonica, which cases Japanese spotted fever. While these pathogens have yet to be found in the United States, there is a risk of their future introduction.”

Also, Pritt says several other human pathogens have been detected in the ticks, but it’s not clear if the ALHT species are able to transmit them to humans. They include Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Borrelia species. Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

She warns the organisms are present in states where ALHTs have been found and that it’s possible the tick — known to be an aggressive biter— might be able to transmit Heartland virus given its close relationship to SFTS virus.

How to Tackle Ticks

According to APHIS, various strategies effectively mitigate tick populations on hosts and in the environment.

Regular tick treatments should be effective against ALHTs. Consult your veterinarian or agriculture extension agent about which products to use.
Check your livestock for ticks regularly.
Safely remove ticks from people and pets as quickly as possible. If you think you’ve found an ALHT, seal it in a zip-top bag and give it to your veterinarian for identification.
Habitat modifications can help prevent ticks on feedlots and pastures. This may include mowing grass, removing trees, reducing shade by thinning trees, understory removal and placing mulch barriers.
Apply acaricide using label instructions to tick habitats, such as woodland edges and grassy patches, during times when ticks are most actively seeking hosts. Although it varies by year, ALHTs are generally active from March to November. Consult your state and local regulations for approved acaricides.

“Cattle producers should aggressively control external parasites this summer,” Dewell summarizes. “Insecticide ear tags alone are not enough to control ticks. Consider incorporating a back rubber or regularly applying a pour-on during the summer. Pyrethroid-based products are also available that include a tick control label. If an increase in tick infestations is observed, an avermectin pour-on may be the best intervention.”

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Can Oxytocin Boost Colostrum?

Mon, 05 May 2025 18:30:32 GMT

The value of colostrum continues to rise, as both a calf-health enhancement, and possibly an additional source of farm revenue.

Researchers at Cornell University recently completed a study to evaluate whether supplemental oxytocin at the first milking could improve colostrum volume, quality, or both.

Working with a commercial dairy with more than 5,000 cows, fresh cows were treated intramuscularly with either 40 international units (IU) of oxytocin, 20 IU of oxytocin, or no oxytocin. The cows were milked in a rotary parlor, and treated approximately 45 seconds before attachment of the milker until.

Colostrum yield was measured via weight, and quality was evaluated for total immunoglobulin G (IgG) using radial immunodiffusion. Dry-matter percentage was determined via oven drying.

After evaluating a total of 636 fresh cows, including 201 first-calf heifers, the researchers found:

The median colostrum yield, encompassing all cows in all treatment groups, was 13.2 lb./cow. This number ranged from 0-45.4 lb.
The median IgG content was 98.5 g/L.
First-calf heifers responded favorably to the highest dose of oxytocin (40 IU). The average production of the 40-IU group was 11.9 lb./cow, compared to 9.0 lb./cow for the 20-IU group, and 8.4 lb./cow for the untreated control group.
Multiparous cows did not show the same production response to oxytocin, with no significant difference in colostrum yield between treatments.
There were, however, sub-groups of cows in the multiparous population that did show a significant production response to the highest dose of oxytocin. They included second-calf cows; cows giving birth to male calves; cows with the highest milk production at week 4 of lactation; and cows with a dry period longer than 65 days.
In terms of quality, oxytocin use had no influence on IgG levels in either first-calf or multiparous cows. As a whole, and independent of oxytocin dosage, IgG concentration was significantly higher for 4th-lactation and older cows, and cows with dry periods of longer than 65 days.

The Cornell researchers concluded that the supplemental oxytocin was valuable in helping first-calf heifers achieve milk let-down as they navigated the novel stressors of being milked for the first time in a rotary parlor. The treatment had little appreciable effect, however, on the colostrum yield of older cows, or the quality of colostrum produced by any animals in the study.

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New Calf Health Monitoring Tool is Nothing to Spit At

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 20:45:03 GMT

It’s easy to access, non-invasive, and could provide a window into the health status and welfare of calves. What is it? Believe it or not: saliva.

Animal scientists are researching the telegraphing abilities of saliva in various animal species, including calves. By analyzing its chemical properties, saliva – and changes in its composition over time – can signal stress, inflammation, immune response, and sometimes the presence of disease-causing pathogens.

A recent study by Hungarian researchers measured the cortisol levels in saliva of newborn calves. They found that the levels went up precipitously for all calves immediately after birth, signifying that birth and acclimation to the post-birth environment are highly stressful for calves.

Most significantly, calves that experienced dystocia exhibited much higher salivary cortisol concentrations compared to calves with a normal birth, likely due to prolonged parturition and/or forced extraction.

Another study conducted is Spain also looked at chemical markers in saliva to monitor systemic oxidative stress and compensating antioxidants. They found that when calves were weaned and commingled into larger groups, oxidant molecules increased, which in turn triggered an increase in antioxidants.

This information is valuable from a research perspective because saliva can be sampled using a non-invasive method to assess animal welfare and health, avoiding more painful, time-consuming, and invasive procedures such as blood and tissue sampling. Saliva sampling is noted to be fast, accurate, and cost-effective, and for these reasons can be performed very frequently.

At a more practical level, saliva samples could help determine less-stressful methods of managing and transporting calves. In the future, automated saliva sampling also could possibly trigger alerts for calves on the front side of a disease challenge like pneumonia, or adult cows in the early stages of lameness or metritis, as a few examples.

Saliva also could serve as a tool to determine the best timing for management practices like administering vaccines. If calves are found to be in a state of high oxidative stress based on a simple saliva test, vaccination could be delayed until those levels come down.

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Boost Your Income By $250,000 with Smart Calf Management Tactics

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:55:36 GMT

With dairy replacements in tight supply and beef-on-dairy calves worth a small fortune, monitoring the health and management of livestock is just as crucial as keeping a close eye on financials. One of the often overlooked yet significant aspects of this is evaluating cattle death loss. According to Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting LLC, understanding metrics such as cull rate and death loss, and translating these into financial figures, can provide profound insights into a dairy farm’s financial health.

Farm Audits
Paul frequently conducts farm audits, collaborating with farmers to boost income and enhance financial control. At the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) Annual Conference in Denver, Colo., Paul shares insights from one of his audits, highlighting labor costs as a significant area of concern. The initial perception was that the farm was overburdened with labor costs, but a deeper dive revealed substantial loss in calf numbers.

“When we do audits, we typically go through the financials. We go through the day-to-day operations. We look at what’s going on everywhere on the dairy. We spend time with the managers,” he says.

The audit uncovered that many heifers never reached the milking herd, with losses reaching as many as 300 calves annually. By recommending a shift to beef-on-dairy calves, Paul demonstrates how the farm could potentially add approximately $270,000 in revenue.

Exploring Other Profitability Scenarios

In a different scenario, a farm experiencing a 15% death loss in calves was financially stable due to diversified income streams, boasting a profit of $2.5 million last year. However, Paul poses an interesting question: “What would happen if they bred for 10% more black calves?” By increasing the production of these calves, the farm could potentially generate over $200,000 annually and ultimately decrease their death loss.

Such examples shed light on common pitfalls affecting dairy farm profitability.

5 Pitfalls Hindering Profitability
1. High Death Loss: A high death loss in calves can significantly impact financial performance.

2. Uncertain Costs: Not knowing the true cost of raising calves and heifers can lead to mismanagement.

3. Over-Investing in Infrastructure: Investing too heavily in equipment and labor for an excessive number of heifers can drain resources.

4. Inadequate Financial Planning: Buying replacements without setting aside the necessary funds can be financially detrimental.

5. Not Maximizing Income: Raising too many replacements and failing to capitalize on the income from black calves can hinder profitability.

Key Questions for Dairy Producers
To address these challenges, Paul advises producers ask themselves the following:

• Calf Management: How effectively do you raise your calves? What is the actual death loss rate?

• Cost Analysis: What are the exact costs of raising replacements, including feed costs both purchased and grown?

• Daily Cost Calculation: What is the daily expense of raising replacements, including feed, labor, vet/medicine and breeding?

• Breeding Strategy: How many cows should be bred to beef to optimize profitability?

Making Strategic Decisions
Producers need to assess whether they excel at raising calves or if outsourcing might be more cost-effective. They should consider:

• Raising Calves: Are you the best at raising calves, or is it more feasible to let others handle it?

• Cost Efficiency: Can others raise replacements more economically than you can?

• Purchasing Replacements: Is it better to buy superior replacements at a lower cost than raising them yourself?

By regularly evaluating these factors and adopting a strategic approach, dairy farmers can better navigate the complexities of farm management and improve profitability. Keeping these considerations at the forefront of operations ensures a robust, financially sustainable future for dairy farms.

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Calves Handle Challenges Differently Based on Personality

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:06:05 GMT

Stressful events can set calves back in terms of health, immunity, feed intake, growth, and maturity. Learning why and how some calves navigate life challenges better than others can provide clues into how to support individual animals to achieve better welfare and performance, particularly with the aid of precision livestock technologies.

A study conducted at the University of Kentucky, published recently in the Journal of Dairy Science , explored the connections between calf personality and response to stressors. Specifically, the researchers sought to quantify individual variation in feeding behavior and activity in response to diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning; and to investigate whether personality traits might be related to the variation and magnitude of change in behavior in calves.

The authors noted that animal personality is closely tied to coping styles, which are differences in behavioral and physiological responses to stressors. Resilient animals are able to maintain normal behavior and physiological patterns, or recover more quickly, despite a challenge.

They said animals with high resilience show less variation and deviation in behaviors, and thus are believed to have better “whole-of-life” welfare and productivity.

In the study, 49 Holstein calves were enrolled, starting at 4 days of age. All calves were raised in a common management system and nutrition program.

Each calf was evaluated with a series of personality tests, during which they were assessed for their individual degree of three factors: fearful, active, and explorative.

Their behaviors then were monitored as they proceeded through three common calfhood stressors: diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning. Nutritional behavior was measured via an automated calf feeder that also dispensed starter grain. Physical activity was assessed using leg accelerometers.

They found that each personality trait had significant association with change in behavior surrounding each of the stressors evaluated, but these associations depended on the type of stressor.

For example, calves that were highly fearful dropped off more in milk intake and drinking speed following a bout of diarrhea than the least fearful calves. And highly active calves had the greatest resilience through weaning, as evidenced by fewer unrewarded visits to the autofeeder and greater consumption of starter grain.

The authors said the study highlights the potential to use precision livestock technology to identify animals who do well or poorly during a stressor like weaning, and to connect those behaviors with personality.

They noted the importance of recognizing that calf behavior and welfare cannot be painted with a broad brush, and that future research and management recommendations should take into account the differences in individual calf personalities. Further research also could explore husbandry methods to help make calves more resilient.

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Four Keys to Autofeeder Success

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:54:00 GMT

Thinking of installing an autofeeder to raise your calves? If so, a steep learning curve awaits you, which hopefully will result in a successful system that you – and your calves – will love.

Dr. Melissa Cantor, Assistant Professor in Precision Dairy Science at Penn State University, warns the transition must be a highly intentional process. On a recent episode of The Dairy Podcast Show , Cantor shared her advice, based on years of research with autofed calves.

“It’s a very complex social housing system for calves,” she declared. “In my opinion, it’s probably the hardest one to implement. But once you get it right, it’s awesome, and you can really reap the benefits.”

Cantor shared her personal “keys to the kingdom” of autofeeders and group housing, which included:

Health excellence already in place – All the boxes must be checked in terms of calf health, in terms of “perfect colostrum management” and low disease prevalence. Cantor advised that passive transfer of immunity should average 90% or higher – above the industry standard -- to avoid respiratory disease. “You shouldn’t have any major problems in your hutch calves before you make the switch,” she advised.
A willingness to feed more milk – “If you want to invest in this system, and then only feed 6 liters of milk a day, you’re probably going to want to rip it out in a couple of years,” she declared. Calves in group pens are more active and use more energy, so thus need more nutrients to both grow and build immunity to fight disease challenges. Daily allotments and meal size both are huge behavior components of the systems. “Meal size matters more than anything,” Cantor added. She said if calves are only allotted .5 liter per meal, they’re not satisfied and will be motivated to cross-suck other calves. Her advice on meal size: 1.5 liters or more.
Strategic progression – One of the beauties of autofeeders is their customizable feeding capability for each individual calf. Cantor advised long, gradual step-down weaning over the course of several weeks. “You can tell the calves that have been weaned really slowly on an autofeeder,” she stated. “They’ve got that really nice, open rib shape and the rumen is primed and ready to go.” Staging stressors -- like castrating and dehorning -- rather than doing them all at the same time, also can keep calves eating and growing consistently.
The right comforts and care – “Who is going to be your calf manager?” posed Cantor. “It’s got to be someone who knows how to see sick calves, because you can’t rely on the calf feeder anymore to spot them. That new person needs to be willing to look at both the calves, and the autofeeder data, to make decisions.” Facilities also are critical, including excellent ventilation and bedding management. Cantor advises strongly against slatted floors in calf barns, because they don’t accommodate calves’ natural instincts to nestle, especially in winter. “Unfortunately, those calves get sick the minute they’re stressed by anything,” she said. “I see a lot of farms pull out autofeeders that have slatted floors, because the combination just doesn’t work all that well.”

Group size also matters. Cantor said studies from Europe – where autofeeders have been in use the longest – have indicated that housing calves in groups larger than 15 calves per pen/nipple increases the risk of respiratory disease, even with adequate bedding and resting space.

To promote smaller groups, Cantor advises producers to sell off their bottom-end heifers before they ever go on the autofeeder. “Instead of putting all that money into that calf that increases the risk of everyone else getting sick, sell her,” she suggested. “Then, put all your resources into the top end, and keep them healthy.”

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Play Offense on Clostridia in Calves

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Clostridia are as common as dirt on farms. In fact, they’re found in the dirt

These Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria are often found in soil and manure, or in feedstuffs that have been contaminated, according to Dr. Luke Miller , veterinary elite dairy advisor at Alltech.

“Because they’re spore-formers, soil contamination caused by clostridia can last through the winter,” Miller noted. “They can last in the desert, during heat stress, cold stress – all that stuff has very little effect on clostridia.”

One good thing about clostridia is that the bacteria are not transmitted from animal to animal. But because they are ubiquitous to the environment, they often colonize in the digestive tract of cattle, potentially very early in life. Clostridium perfringens is a strain of particular concern in preweaned calves.

Their presence in the gut flora does not necessarily cause problems, unless something changes that triggers a growth spurt. Miller said this could be a dietary change like a calf overeating starch; an external wound; or an internal tissue injury like a liver abscess. In any of these cases, a decrease in or lack of oxygen can quickly create the anaerobic environment that triggers clostridial growth and can cause the bacteria to flourish.

When this happens, the bacteria release damaging toxins that can cause calves to experience inflammation, shock, cardiac arrest, and even death. Miller described the symptoms of clostridia overgrowth as ranging from “ADR – ain’t doin’ right” with general malaise and poor growth; to severe diarrhea and abdominal pain; to rapid-onset bloat and sudden death. Nearly every calf raiser has experienced the frustrating scenario of “fine at one feeding, dead the next,” caused by clostridia.

But there are measures that can help you stay ahead of clostridia in calves, including:

1. Consistent management routines – Feeding calves at the same time, every day, can help prevent clostridia flare-ups. Vigilant cleaning of maternity pens and calf housing environments also can help. And, if possible, avoid calves going off feed, as “slug feeding” can trigger clostridia proliferation.

2. Vaccination – Vaccinating dams and performing excellent colostrum delivery is the most effective way to confer clostridium immunity in young calves. Miller said the selected strains for vaccination may vary according to regional pathogenic loads, but might include enterotoxemia, blackleg, redwater, and tetanus. Older heifers – particularly those on pasture – may require direct vaccination against clostridia organisms.

3. Feeding functional organisms – Enhancing the gut microbiome with direct-fed microbials has been shown to tame clostridia in both research and practice. Prebiotics, probiotics, and/or postbiotics may help create a favorable gut environment that supports beneficial bacteria that compete with clostridia, regulate pH, and/or promote healthy digestion.

To the third point, a study published in the journal Antibiotics compared the responses of calves fed two separate probiotic products compared to non-treated controls when challenged directly with an oral dose of Clostridium perfringens. Both products significantly reduced the incidence and severity of diarrhea while improving general impression and appearance scores of calves. Additionally, 60% (6/10) of the non-treated controls died, while only 2/10 died in one of the treatment groups, and 0/10 died in the other.

A Chinese study in which the probiotic Bacillus subtilis natto was added directly into the milk ration of preweaned Holstein calves showed the supplemented calves had improved average daily gain and feed efficiency compared to control calves. And a Japanese study showed that supplementing the milk replacer ration of newborn calves with Bacillus subtilis C-3102 promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria in the rumen microbiota, which could contribute to the improvement of feed efficiency after weaning.

Consult your veterinarian and nutritionist to devise a plan to best control clostridia in your calves.

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Turn Up the Heat on Winter Calf Water

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 23:28:44 GMT

Winter brings a host of extra challenges for calf raisers. But calves still need the same nutrients and amenities as they do in more temperate months, plus more.

Water plays a critical role in rumen development, and should not be skipped in the winter months, despite the extra time and effort delivering it requires. When preweaned calves have access to free-choice water, they will consume it at about four times their dry-matter intake -- just like older heifers and cows – according to longtime calf nutrition researcher Dr. Al Kertz .

Rumen bacteria must live in water. Without water, rumen development is slowed, and calves also have been shown to consume less starter grain in the absence of water.

“Calves like warm water, especially in the wintertime,” stated University of Wisconsin Regional Extension Dairy Educator Alison Pfau . She added that research has shown even adult cows prefer warm water (86°F vs. 50°F) in hot summer conditions.

A study in Finland, published in the Journal of Dairy Science , showed that preweaned calves drank 47% more water when it was warmed to about 63°F, compared to cold water at around 45°F. Even after weaning, the calves offered warm water continued to drink more. While that study did not show any appreciable body weight gain between the two groups, Kertz noted that the calves were raised on a diet that was very different than would typically be fed in the U.S.

Cold water also delivers a bit of a shock to the rumen. A decades-old study by researchers at South Dakota State University examined rumen temperature in calves after drinking water of various temperatures. They found the rumen temperature dropped significantly when calves consumed water at 45°F, and it took about an hour for the rumen temperature to return to body temperature. So, feeding water at near body temperature (100-102°F) can help keep the rumen environment more stable.

Kertz said warm water feeding also helps calves conserve energy in colder weather, because they do not need to use additional dietary or body energy to warm colder water to rumen temperature. “A third daily water feeding, if milk or milk replacer is fed only twice daily, can help increase starter grain intake, and its subsequent heat of rumen fermentation can help calves to keep warmer,” he advised.

The dry atmosphere of winter is another factor underscoring the importance of water. “A calf exhales more moisture into the drier, colder winter air than they inhale, which leads to losing more body water with each breath compared to warmer air conditions like spring or summer,” advised Pfau.

It’s challenging to deliver water to the calves in the wintertime, but the late calf and heifer specialist Sam Leadley said it was still possible, and very necessary for optimal calf development. “In freezing conditions, take advantage of habit-driven calf behavior. Feed water on a consistent timetable – same time every day,” he advised. “If calf care personnel carefully observe winter water consumption patterns of calves, a ‘feed-and-dump’ routine can work very well.”

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Sensational Calf and Heifer Prices Go from Hot to Warm

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 01:57:16 GMT

The runaway dairy heifer and calf markets of 2024 have cooled a bit at summer’s end. While still in healthy territory, Holstein springer values were steady to down in August in California and Wisconsin, but still posting in $3,000/head territory in Minnesota. Holstein heifer calf values were all over the board, at $200-950/head. Beef-cross calf prices remain robust, but tempered slightly into the $400-600’s in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

	Springing Heifers		Heifer Calves	Beef Cross Calves
Location (sale date)	Supreme/Top	Approved/Medium	90-120 pounds	60-100 pounds

Turlock, Calif. (8-23-24)	$2,250-2,850	$1,600-2,100	--	--
Lomira, Wis. (8-31-24)	$1,500-2,200	$1,200-1,400	$200-350	$450-640
Pipestone, Minn. (8-15-24)	$3,025-3,300	$2,850-3,025	No test	$600-675
New Holland, Pa. (8-22-24)	No report	No report	$810-950	$775-985

Want to Boost Your Beef-on-Dairy Calf's Value? Know Their Health Status

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 21:54:24 GMT

It’s no secret that beef-on-dairy calves are worth a pretty penny. In fact, beef-cross calves have fetched astounding vales of more than $1,000 per head in some markets. And while even average crossbred animals are bringing a decent profit, healthy, well-grown calves are worth top dollar.

According to Sandra Stuttgen, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the best way to add value to beef-on-dairy calves is to communicate their health status with buyers. This entails keeping records of their genetic information, vaccination procedures and any health events the animal incurs.

“Beef cross calves will be on the grill less than 22 months after birth, Stuttgen says. “Marketing wet dairy-beef cross calves with some guarantee of future health and growth performance is an opportunity that no dairy should ignore.”

What to Track

When buyers look for beef-cross calves, the health status of the animals is their top priority. This means buyers may be willing to pay a premium for calves with well-documented health records. Therefore, Stuttgen encourages farmers to track the following information:

Colostrum Receival – Just like traditional dairy calves, it’s essential for beef-on-dairy animals to receive adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum within the first few hours of life. To market the calf’s health status effectively, provide evidence of passive colostrum transfer and share the dam’s vaccination protocol.

“The calf received colostrum; therefore, the calf should have maternal antibodies to the agents covered by the dry cow or close-up heifer vaccine protocol that includes scour-prevention vaccines,” Stuttgen explains.

She suggests using a portable calf scale to measure the calf’s weight before colostrum feeding to ensure accurate colostrum and subsequent feeding. Additionally, validate weekly colostrum management by taking total protein (TP) or Brix measurements of all calves aged between 1 and 7 days.

Vaccines – Sharing an animal’s vaccination records is another way dairy producers can add value to their beef-cross calves. By providing detailed vaccination documentation, buyers feel more assured that they are purchasing healthy, robust calves who were given preventative care measures. Stuttgen recommends documenting all vaccination procedures and working alongside your veterinarian to develop health protocols specifically for crossbred calves.

Weight – According to Stuttgen, calves should double their birthweight by day 56 at 8 weeks of age, which translates into an average daily gain (ADG) of 1.5 lbs. She recommends weighing calves prior to transport and marketing those that have gained weight since their birthday.

“Tracking the animal’s growth (weight and height) allows for accurately feeding them to reach their potential stature. Measure weight and calculate ADG and height at weaning and continue to track weight ADG at subsequent pen or ration changes. Retain calves that haven’t [gained the appropriate amount of weight] and work to identify and correct the reasons why calves.”

Health Events – If an animal becomes ill, it’s important to make note of the event along with any treatments the animal receives. This especially holds true for respiratory problems.

“One or two treatments for respiratory symptoms early in a young calf’s life often causes reduced lung capacity, which raises susceptibility to respiratory disease later in life,” Stuttgen notes. “In the feed lot, this leads to poor weight gain and reduced carcass quality grades.”

Another major concern are calves who are infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea, or BVD. According to Stuttgen, BVD is a major risk to calf health and persistently infected (BVD-PI) calves should be identified and euthanized. She suggests testing all newborn calves for BVD-PI and only marketing calves who are negative.

Take Advantage of Today’s Prices

With the beef-on-dairy market booming, dairy farmers utilizing a beef-on-dairy program need to seize every opportunity to market their crossbred calves effectively. This means not only ensuring the highest standards of health and nutrition, but also maintaining detailed health and vaccination records. By leveraging these strategies, farmers can maximize the value and appeal of their calves in this competitive market.

Maximizing Profitability: The ROI of Transition Cow Facilities

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 20:27:22 GMT

In the world of dairy farming where efficiency and productivity are two of the most important factors, every investment is scrutinized for its potential return. While there are a myriad of factors affecting profitability on a dairy farm, the transition period continues to stand out as the most critical phase. The transition from late pregnancy to lactation is characterized by a multitude of physiological changes which heighten the risk of metabolic health issues. Transition cow facilities have been an increasingly popular investment for dairy farmers, designed to provide the ideal environment and management practices to support cow health, comfort and productivity. While the upfront cost of establishing such facilities can be substantial, dairy farmers are often keen to understand the return on investment (ROI) associated with these types of investments.

At first glance, the upfront costs of constructing new or retrofitting a transition cow facility may seem overwhelming. We can analyze a transition cow facility from multiple angles, encompassing both tangible economic benefits and intangible advantages. Careful examination of each of these reveals the potential for substantial long-term gains.

The primary economic driver of ROI for a transition cow facility lies in the potential for improved milk production. By providing a conducive environment with optimal nutrition, comfortable housing and effective management practices, farmers can ensure that cows enter their lactation ready for peak performance resulting in a more consistent and higher quality milk supply. The direct economic benefit of increased milk production and improved components contributes significantly to revenue and to the ROI of the facility.

Additionally, a reduction in postpartum health disorders can yield significant savings. The transition period is associated with increased susceptibility to health challenges and metabolic disorders, such as metritis and mastitis. These health issues not only incur direct expenses from treatment and labor, but they also result in decreased milk production and fertility, further prolonging the cow’s return on investment. With a well-designed facility and proper management, dairy farmers can mitigate some risk and avoid the loss of productivity associated with poor performing cows, thus enhancing overall profitability. These savings contribute positively to the ROI over time, offsetting the initial investment in facility construction or retrofitting.

Moving beyond the economic benefits, investing in transition cow facility can also yield intangible benefits that contribute to the overall long-term sustainability and resilience of the dairy operation. Focusing on cow welfare, environmental stewardship and operational efficiency, these facilities contribute to the overall sustainability goals of the farm. These goals align with consumer preferences and societal expectations of sustainable agricultural practices, further supporting the ROI of transition facilities.

In summary, the ROI of a transition facility is multifactorial, encompassing both tangible economic benefits and intangible sustainability and welfare advantages. While the initial investment requires careful planning and financial resources, the returns in terms of increased profitability and operational efficiency make it a sound economic decision for dairy farmers looking to optimize their business. A well-executed transition facility is not an expense but an investment in future success.

Nine Ways to Help Resuscitate A Newborn Calf

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 21:05:28 GMT

The first sign of trouble Dr. Andrew Dann saw was the Holstein calf he was pulling was backward. The Attica, N.Y., dairy practitioner says in any dystocia scenario like that he anticipates needing to resuscitate the calf upon arrival.

“Breech calves, oversized calves, backward calves, I’m always thinking they’re probably going to need some help to get going,” he says.

Fortunately, the calf responded well to Dann’s intervention and lived. He estimates more than 50% of the calves he resuscitates do survive, with the overall success rate varying depending upon on the type of calving situation he encounters.

Dann and other bovine veterinarians recently shared some of the practices they routinely use when newborn calves need help at birth.

Here are nine practices for your consideration:

1. ASSESS THE CALF AT DELIVERY. “As a practitioner, one of our jobs is to help educate our clients so they know what’s normal for a calf at delivery and what’s not,” says Dr. Geof Smith, dairy technical services veterinarian for Zoetis. He addressed the topic of resuscitating calves at the 2022 American Association of Bovine Practitioners annual conference.

“After a typical birth the calf should breathe within 30 seconds of delivery, be capable of lifting its head within 3 minutes, sitting up on its own within 5 minutes, and should be trying to stand after 20 minutes,” he says. “After an hour the calf should be standing (Table 1).”

Calves in distress won’t stand or stand for very long. They won’t nurse well, and will have decreased efficiency in absorbing immunoglobulins.

Other signs of newborn calf stress can include irregular breathing, hemorrhages or red spots in the eye, cyanotic or blue mucous membranes, and a swollen tongue or head.

To better assess calves born during difficult circumstances, a Calf VIGOR Scorer (originally developed by the University of Guelph) is available for iPhone from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the App Store for $2.99. Smith says the system is similar to an Apgar scoring system used to assess newborn human infants.

2. CLEAR AIR PASSAGES. Check the calf’s nostrils and mouth and remove fluid or mucus using your hand, a suction bulb or even a turkey baster.

“I have one client who has high-dollar embryo calves, and they keep an oxygen tank with a cup mask at the ready when a calf’s born to help it breathe,” Dann says. “They put the mask over the calf’s snout, and it gets a dose of pure oxygen. That has helped tremendously at times.”

If a calf isn’t breathing upon arrival but has a heartbeat, Dann says it is still a good candidate for resuscitation.

3. PUT THE CALF IN STERNAL RECUMBENCY. “Position the calf with their legs underneath them,” Dann advises. “If available, get a couple bales of hay or straw and put one on each side of the calf to prop it into an upright position, so it’s not leaning to one side or the other.”

Don’t leave the calf on its side, which prevents both lungs from inflating uniformly. By getting the animal into an upright position, the calf will be able to expand both lungs more readily as it breathes.

Likewise, don’t hang a calf upside down or over a gate. “These calves have to generate pretty significant negative pressure to expand their alveoli and open up their lungs,” Smith says. “If you want to pick it up for 30 seconds and put it back down, I don’t have a major problem with that. But we definitely don’t need to be hanging these calves upside down for a long time. They cannot expand their lungs when they’re upside down.”

“That can cause too much cranial pressure in the calf’s head and potentially decrease oxygen flow to the brain,” Dann adds.

4. USE A STIMULUS. Dann’s go-to practice is to pour a small amount of cold tap water in one ear.

“That activates neurons and stimulates a calf’s gasp reflex,” he says. “It annoys them, and they’ll shake their head. That’s what you want to see.”

Dann cautions against drenching the calf with water, which can lower its body temperature or even make it more prone to hypothermia.

“I’m using a small amount of water, probably 100 milliliters,” he says.

Some practitioners and producers use straw to tickle the calf’s nostrils to elicit a response, but Dann is reluctant to recommend the practice. “I’m not entirely against this, but you could potentially damage the nostril,” he explains. “A little cold water in the ear is, I believe, a better way to go and has no negative repercussions.”

The use of caffeine is another way Smith says he has seen a stimulant used successfully to help resuscitate calves. “One of the things that caffeine will do is clear adenosine and stimulate respiration,” he says, noting that one caffeine source he sees some dairy farms use is 5-Hour Energy.

5. MECHANICAL VENTILATION OPTIONS. Mechanical ventilation has been shown to effectively ventilate calves in the short-term (Front Vet Science 2018; 5:292). Smith says intubation would be the gold standard but is rarely possible to use in the field. Likewise, he says nose-to-nose or nose-to-mouth are unlikely to be effective.

His recommendation, if you resuscitate calves frequently, is to consider purchasing a resuscitating kit. McCulloch markets one for about $140.

One caution, Smith adds, is sometimes mechanical ventilation will contribute to air winding up in the esophagus and abomasum, and it doesn’t protect the calf trachea.

6. CONSIDER ADMINISTERING MEDICATION. Certain prescription medications such as doxapram may also be used to stimulate respiration, although severely affected calves do not always respond to it.

Smith says minimum data is available but the use of doxapram at 2 mg/kg, IV has a potent stimulating action on the respiratory center. He often recommends it in calves that have severe depression from xylazine (Vet Med Rev 1981; 1:70-74).

Dann often administers a dose of epinephrine, which he says can help open the airway and encourage the calf’s lungs to expand.

7. STIMULATE BLOOD FLOW MANUALLY, IF NECESSARY. Most cows, given the opportunity, will lick and clean their calves upon arrival. You can mimic the dam by using towels to rub and clean the calf.

Sometimes, Dann says he will encounter a beef cow that is disinterested in her offspring. In those situations, Dann says his clients sometimes pour cornmeal across the calf’s back to entice the cow to lick her calf.

8. ADDRESS PAIN CONTROL NEEDS IN THE DAM AND NEWBORN. Dystocia is likely painful for both the cow and her calf. “Calves often have significant muscle bruising, and I believe rib fractures occur more frequently than we might suspect,” Smith says. He references a recent study conducted in Japan that showed approximately 20% of calves born via assisted delivery there had rib fractures (Japan Vet Med Assoc 2021; 74:181-185).

When calves were administered 1 ml of injectable meloxicam, they recovered better after dystocia and gained more weight during the first weeks of life (Bovine Practitioner 2015; 49:1-12).

9. MONITOR AND MANAGE THE CALF. Smith encourages practitioners to help educate producers and their employees on how to assess when a calf needs assistance at birth and when to allow Mother Nature to continue guiding the process (Table 3).

“I think calving management skills are really critical,” Smith says. “If we as veterinarians work on our skills with resuscitation and try to teach those to our producers, we can really improve calf wellness and vitality in the first few hours and days of life.”

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