Calves and Heifers
Focus on the First 24 Hours
This 2017 winter program of the Michigan State University Extension Dairy Team was designed to help Michigan dairy farms improve the health and well-being of their dairy calves through a focus on the first 24 hours after birth.
Recorded presentations by MSU Extension Dairy educators:
- Assessing Passive Transfer Status on 50 Michigan Dairy Farms – Faith Cullens
- Colostrum Quality – It’s Up to the Dam and You – Phil Durst
- Shaping Her Future: The Importance of the First Meal – Faith Cullens
- Maternity Pens that Optimize Cow and Calf Performance – Stan Moore
- Handling the Newborn Calf – Marianne Buza
- Opportunities to Reduce Stillbirths – Kathy Lee
Resources Authored by MSU Extension Educators and Specialists
- Colostrum from first-lactation heifers: Feed it or dump it? – Faith Cullens, Oct. 2018
- Consider a second feeding of colostrum to dairy calves – Faith Cullens, Oct. 2018
- Sharpening the pencil in calf raising – Faith Cullens, April 2018
- Starter for pre-weaned calves – Faith Cullens, March, 2018
- Total solids in milk replacer – it matters! – Faith Cullens, March 2018
- Storing colostrum - Faith Cullens, Sept. 2017
- Dehorning: The least fun job on the farm – Faith Cullens, May 2017
- Using a refractometer to monitor the success of your colostrum program – Faith Cullens, March 2017
- Why check colostrum quality? – Phil Durst, March 2017
- Caring for calves in the winter - Faith Cullens, Dec. 2016
- Water for calves is important - Faith Cullens, Oct. 2016
- Cutting costs in calf raising - Faith Cullens, Oct. 2016
- Is your calf ready for a truck ride? - Marianne Buza, Sept. 2016
- Pain relief for newborn calves - Faith Cullens, Sept. 2016
- Optimize the welfare of calves during dehorning - Kathy Lee, June 2016
- Calf care quick reference guide - Faith Cullens, May 2016
- Warming rooms for newborn dairy calves - Faith Cullens, Nov. 2015
- Calf bedding materials for fall and winter - Faith Cullens, Oct. 2015
- Calf bedding materials for spring - Faith Cullens, April 2015
- Dairy steer calf milk feeding programs - Frank Wardynski, Nov. 2015
- Caring for high value bull calves - Phil Durst, Aug. 2014
- Raising dairy steer calves for profitable beef production - Frank Wardynski, Feb. 2012
- Birth to weaning management critical to long term calf health - Frank Wardynski, June 2011
- Innovative Calf Warming Boxes Reduce Disease Transmission - Dan Grooms, Bob Kreft, Rob West and Adam Blumerich, Phil Durst, July 2011
- Intensified Feeding Programs for Calves: Are They Worth the Cost? - Miriam Weber Nielsen and Mike VandeHaar, Jan. 2012