One concern about feeding elevated levels of liquid nutrients to pre-weaned calves is whether or not the practice delays and/or suppresses consumption of starter grain, making weaning more challenging for those calves. Researchers at the University of British Columbia recently performed a study to evaluate this question. The team presented their findings at the 2016...Read More

The majority of dairy operations consider raising dairy heifer replacements a major cost without receiving any return until the heifer enters the milking herd. As a result, the dairy tries to minimize the cost of raising heifers by feeding hospital milk or a lower-quality milk replacer. In most cases, the least expensive calf starter is also...Read More

Hot and humid weather can take its toll on people, but calves are also susceptible to heat stress. To ensure calves stay healthy and maintain their growth rates, it’s important to keep them cool and comfortable during the sticky summer months. The hot Summer months are certainly upon us here in Australia so here’s how...Read More

Another calf rearing season is fast approaching so it’s important we start to consider what we want to achieve. It’s vital that we get our pre-weaning nutrition right to get the best possible results. MaxCare Business Manager, Tom Newton said “better nutrition for your calves will deliver a better return on your investment. An investment...Read More

In the sixth free webinar of the DeLaval Calf College series, Dr. Robert James, PhD., reviewed the options for feeding calves in group housing facilities. He noted that a successful group calf feeding operation provides the opportunity to: utilize a higher plane of nutrition – equating to smaller, more frequent meals; capture genetic potential through better feeding...Read More

What is fortified milk? Fortified milk is “the addition of calf milk replacer to whole milk”. This provides a high energy, high protein feed in a smaller volume than would otherwise be required to achieve a similar nutritional content if using whole milk or calf milk replacer alone. Why use fortified milk? High protein and...Read More

MaxCare explores 5 commonly raised comments about feeding your calves cow’s milk instead of calf milk replacer. “I believe that whole milk is best for my calves.” Due to changes in feed rations and the focus on milk production, the composition of cow’s milk has changed in recent decades. The fat content has risen, and,...Read More

Dr Bob James, professor emeritus of Dairy Science and Virginia Tech University, discusses the advantages of automatic calf feeders. Dr James said smart calf-rearing systems with automatic feeders provided the opportunity to mimic nature. They also provided a raft of data to help manage and assess performance. He said he originally had some doubts about...Read More

Learning and implementing the calf rearing basics will ultimately save time, money and result in healthier calves –  this was the key message delivered by Dr. Gemma Chuck from Apiam Animal Health at a recent dairy discussion group in South West Victoria. Dr. Chuck explained that understanding, testing and feeding high-quality colostrum is essential for...Read More

Calves left to suckle the dam for colostrum intake are at a greater risk of low antibody absorption and increased morbidity and mortality. Research has shown that dairy calves should be actively fed good quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth in order to benefit in the short and long term. Active feeding involves...Read More