As the calving season approaches, now is the opportune moment to meticulously plan and prepare for the upcoming challenges in calf rearing. Reflecting on your past calf rearing performance, consider these six pivotal factors to ensure a successful and thriving environment for your calves in 2024. 1. Calf Rearing Facilities: A Sanctuary for Growth The...Read More

Thinking differently about colostrum and weaning can lead to greater life-long productivity By Lilian Schaer for Livestock Research Innovation CorporationThere is a strong relationship between health and growth in a calf’s early life and that animal’s total lifetime production. This means what happens to a calf in its first few hours and days is extremely...Read More

For those that missed our live seminar ‘Making Calf Rearing Easy’ at International Dairy Week, here it is. The panel session was facilitated by Adam Plant (MaxCare) and included: • Tom Newton: MaxCare Business Manager • Mike Ryan: Eagle Direct Managing Director • Annie Newton: Northern Victoria Calf Rearer Dairy farmers are always looking for...Read More

The colostrum you fed a heifer calf this morning is one of the main predictors of her health as both a calf and a cow. What factors influence the quality of that colostrum? Sheila McGuirk, retired Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin, discusses issues that can affect colostrum quality, and how it...Read More

Without a doubt, dealing with scouring calves is the biggest challenge for the calf rearer, and the biggest threat to calf survival. Understanding the causes of neonatal diarrhoea (scours) is important, so that appropriate prevention and treatment can be instigated. What are the main causes of early scours? Is there something wrong with the immune...Read More