Neil Broadwater, Regional Extension Educator

March 25, 2006

Are you frustrated with calf illnesses and death losses on your dairy farm? Do you feel your calves are not growing into the high quality replacement animal you hoped? Would you like to fine-tune your calf raising knowledge and skills for calves? If so, you will not want to miss a two-day "Dairy Calf Workshop", sponsored by the University of Minnesota Extension Service and the Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) at Waseca to be held on Wednesdays, April 5 & 12, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (both days), at the SROC. The workshop will cover best management practices for calves from birth to six months of age.

According to the August 30, 2004 Minnesota DHIA Calf Report, the yearly death loss for calves from all DHIA herds is 11% from first lactation heifers, 6.5% for second lactation cows, and 8.3% from third lactation cows - all calculating out to a 8.3% death rate from all lactating animals.

In a study called "Reference of Dairy Health and Management in the U.S., 2002," the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) found the following causes of calf and heifer deaths as perceived by the producer:

This report points out that scours and respiratory problems are the leading causes of heifer calf deaths in the United States. This was also true in a similar survey conducted in 1992 by APHIS. So even though ten years later there may have been new treatments or new feed additives introduced on the market or new types of housing facility concepts developed to address these problems, they have not been the complete answer to preventing calf death losses. These illnesses and death losses are costly to the dairy operation. Even if a calf survives a disease or sickness, what is its potential for reaching proper weight at the proper time for first calving and being successful in the dairy herd?

Studies show that calves treated for pneumonia in the first 90 days of life are 2.5 times more likely to die before freshening and 2 times less likely to freshen as heifers because they are culled from the herd. These animals also have, on average, a 4½-month delay in age at first calving. Furthermore, they have a reduction in growth rate, and they are at increased risk of being culled as a cow. If producers get calves off to a strong start, then those calves reaching their genetic milking potential when they get into the herd becomes a much easier and more attainable goal.

Yes, raising calves is a challenging job but dairy producers do not have to accept high morbidity and mortality rates on their farms. The answer to raising healthy calves is to develop strategies and protocols that will minimize calf illness and maximize daily growth, creating healthy, strong heifers that will reach breeding age, freshen earlier, and have higher lifetime milk production.

The Dairy Calf Workshop series at SROC is open to dairy producers and calf managers who are willing to drive to Waseca for an intensive two-day training. The first day (April 5th) will cover topics related to Calf Disease and Health issues and will include a panel of calf growers. The second day will be devoted to Nutrition Management and Housing and will conclude with a roundtable discussion in groups to problem solve issues on their own farms. The workshop will help dairy producers and calf raisers develop their own disease prevention, health and nutrition management protocols and procedures. The latest scientific research information and the fundamentals of everyday calf management will be addressed. During the workshop, participants will also have the opportunity to view the two-year-old calf and heifer research facilities at SROC. They will be divided into groups to view demonstrations on how to diagnose scours and diarrhea and how to treat them; how to conduct a calf physical; how to evaluate fecal samples and how to use a refractometer (measures total serum protein).

Workshop presenters will include: Dr. Sandra Godden, Associate Professor at the U of MN Veterinary Technical Hospital; Dr. Steve Hayes, Technical Service Manager, Milk Products, Inc; Dr. Hugh Chester-Jones, Animal Scientist, SROC; Dr. Howard Tyler, Associate Professor of Animal Science, Iowa State University; Neil Broadwater, Regional Extension Educator-Dairy; and farmer panelists Ron Scherbring, Heifer Hotel owner and operator, Rollingstone; Ron Durst of Durst Bros. Dairy, Kasson; and Dave Minar, Cedar Summit Farms of New Prague.

The registration fee is $75/person and $50/additional person from the same farm. The fee includes a 3-ring notebook, a CD, handouts, meals and refreshments.

Advanced registration is required by Friday, March 24. Note: This workshop will be limited to 75 participants, on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For further information or to register, contact:
Mary Jane Stearns, Regional Extension Center, Rochester, MN;

• telephone 507-536-6310
• e-mail: mstearns@umn.edu