Calf Health Archives - Page 2 of 6

Preventing bacteria contaminating colostrum and transition milk produced in robotic milking systems

Maintaining colostrum hygiene in robotic milking systems is vital for calf health and immune development. This article explores the risks of bacterial contamination, highlights research findings, and offers best practices for collecting and storing colostrum and transition milk in automated dairy operations.

Bluetongue: What to look out for in Calves

Bluetongue can be passed to the unborn fetus from an infected pregnant cow. Calves are typically born small and weak, blind or deformed. Death of calves can occur after a few days of birth. While the clinical signs are more severe in sheep, cattle can present signs of the disease. The main clinical signs of […]

Transformula and Shine Featured in Dairy Farmer Magazine

We are delighted to see Transformula and Shine Twice-a-Day replacer featured in the new isssue of Dairy Farmer magazine.

How to reduce bacterial contamination of colostrum

The awareness and importance of testing and feeding good-quality colostrum has become increasingly popular over the last few years. However, the colostrum storage and handling process is sometimes overlooked [...]

Beef cross calves thrive on two step feeding regime

A two-step approach to calf milk replacer (CMR) feeding has helped a Leicestershire dairy farm cut calf deaths to under 2% and lower the incidence of scour. John Greaves and his family run a herd of 220 all-year-round calving Holstein Friesians at Lodge Farm. It is an 800-acre mixed dairy, beef and arable farm. They […]

How to get the best out of automatic calf feeders: Part 2

Following on from our previous article on automatic calf feeders, this part focuses on the calf management practices needed to get the most out of machine feeding. The Importance of Excellent Stockmanship It is more important than ever that the right person is dedicated to looking after the calves. A good stockperson will physically check […]

How to get the best out of automatic calf feeders: Part 1

An automatic calf feeder can be a powerful tool for feeding large numbers of calves efficiently. They help reduce manual labor and improve consistency. But to fully benefit, careful setup, calibration, and monitoring of the automatic calf feeder are essential. There are important protocols that need to be followed to maximise the benefits these machines […]

Benefits of Feeding Transition Milk for Longer

In a recent survey by Bonanza Calf Nutrition of 153 farmers, it was found that over 57% of the farmers only feed transition milk up to day five of the calf’s life, which aligns with the first 5-6 milkings after colostrum.

Scrutinising the crude fat, fibre and ash content in CMRs

Understanding and interpreting the label on a bag of calf milk replacer (CMR) is often confusing as when it comes to legal requirements, manufacturers need only declare the ingredients in descending order of inclusion. Many omit to state if the product is detailed as freshweight or as dry matter (DM). Due to rapid advances in […]

How to keep calves growing and thriving post-weaning

Maintaining attention to heifer calf health and performance post-weaning is vital to avoid losing gains already made and to keep them on track [...]