Margins in the dairy industry continue to tighten. Dairy farms are seeking opportunities to control costs, but also maximize the health of their heifers as dairy replacements are the foundation for genetic progress and improvement of the herd. Since 1997, UW-Extension has sought to provide economic information on dairy replacements with four unique replications of […]

Dairy veterinarians, nutritionists, extension agents, and consultants all strive to assist their farm clients in the creation of dairy farm protocols to maximize the success of their calf programs. However, protocol modifications and procedural drift occur regardless of the best intentions as farm circumstances change in relation to employees, seasons, and calves needing care. The UW-Extension Preweaned Calf Health Management Survey sought to understand actual calf […]

When UW-Extension agriculture agents collected data from 26 farms, they found it cost $6.35 per day to raise a calf on an automated group feeding system and $5.84 to raise a calf on an individual feeding system.  A preweaned calf health management survey was conducted simultaneously on 12 of the 26 Wisconsin farms. In the October 10, 2018 Hoard’s Dairyman article How […]