Dairy Calves - News & Insights
Stay updated on the latest dairy calf management strategies. Explore expert advice on colostrum management, calf nutrition, disease prevention, and the beef-on-dairy trend to ensure a healthy, productive future for your herd.
Move over, artificial insemination. Artificial intelligence has found its way onto dairy farms, and is revolutionizing the way calves are raised
It continues to be a seller’s market for dairy replacement heifers, heifer calves, and beef-cross calves.
Calf raisers are becoming increasingly cognizant of the need to optimize lifetime dairy cow performance by feeding them generously in their first weeks of life. But how, exactly, do you know how much to feed?
From the moment a calf is born, its journey to becoming a productive member of the herd begins.
Does it make financial sense to purchase dairy replacement heifers in today’s white-hot market?
What is normal for calf body temperature, and when should they be treated for fevers? Industry experts weigh in on making temperature monitoring a routine part of daily calf care.
An unprecedented shift in the U.S. dairy cattle population could signal uncertainty ahead in terms of milk production, cow numbers, and prices – for both the milk and the animals.
The dairy cattle market is currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand, creating a bustling atmosphere in the industry. As the competition heats up, market players are closely observing what is currently trending – is it beef-on-dairy calves or the traditional dairy replacements and fresh cows?
Beef-on-dairy strategy continues to cut into heifer supply.
The USDA’s January 2025 Cattle Inventory Report revealed that we are living in historic times in terms of the U.S. dairy heifer population.
The largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom has made social housing of preweaned dairy calves a requirement for its contracted supplier dairy herds.
If your calves are producing tears, that’s a good thing, according to Dr. Taylor Engle, veterinarian with 4-Star Veterinary Service, Dayton, Ohio.
Holstein springers again topped out at $4,250/head in Pipestone, Minn. in January, 2025, with other reporting markets also hanging in strong.
When dairy farmers think about animals impacted by cold stress, calves are often the first that come to mind. However, it’s important to remember that cold stress doesn’t just affect calves—it can also significantly impact heifers.
If you’re thinking about installing an autofeeder system in your calf program, you’re headed into a fairly momentous management shift. Dr. Melissa Cantor, Assistant Professor in Precision Dairy Science at Penn State University, shares advice on smoothing the transition.
Holstein heifer prices soar to $4,250 at Minnesota auction.
It’s a common cause of calf disease, and it can be maddening when apparently healthy calves suddenly turn up dead. But there are offensive approaches to controlling Clostridia.
Compared to five years ago, today’s Holstein springer values are double to triple and still on the rise.
Calves need water year-around, including winter. Research evidence suggests 100°F should be the target temperature for calves’ water, matching their body and rumen temperature.
The essential oil from oregano is proving beneficial for calf diets. Two studies have shown it to have positive impacts on calf health and performance as an alternative to antibiotics.
Facilities, genetics, nutrition, stockmanship and marketing are some of the impotant factors to consider in the transition process.
Could increasing colostrum volume delivery help calves better navigate cold stress? Brazilian researcher Carla Bittar shares her insights on adjusting colostrum dosage for winter-born calves.
After a slight pull-back last month, Holstein springer values have come roaring back, jumping more than $1,000 per head on the top end in California.
The end of summer means more than cooler nights, changing leaves, and football Fridays. It also brings with it a downward shift in colostrum production on dairy farms.
Warm milk is necessary to maintain calves body temperatures and conserve energy.
Bloody scours in calves is never a welcome sight, but diagnosing the source can help with treatment and prevent future cases.
Maximizing pleasure and satisfaction in dairy calves isn’t required. But it does make them happier, and helps the dairy industry share a positive picture with the consuming public, according to University of Wisconsin animal behavior researcher Dr. Jennifer Van Os.
Non-salable milk from antibiotic-treated cows – sometimes accompanied by pasteurization – has been a calf dietary staple on dairy farms for decades. But how do those traces of antibiotics influence the digestive microflora of the calves that consume them?
In an industry where external factors like Mother Nature, milk markets, and regulations dominate, farmers have found solace in the few controllable elements of their operations. James Vander Waal, an Iowa dairy producer in Hull, is a prime example of how technology can be leveraged to enhance efficiency in dairy farming.
The runaway dairy heifer and calf markets of 2024 have cooled a bit at summer’s end.