Labor Efficient Calf Rearing

Mike and Patty Strayer

Strayer Dairy

Wadena, MN

1-218-631-4170

strayerdairy@tekstar.com

 

Strayer dairy consists of a commercial heifer calf operation, a 50-cow dairy and a cropping enterprise of about 180 acres.  Four years ago we were considering expanding the dairy.  Rather than expand we established a calf growing enterprise.    Calves are raised for 4 clients, plus we purchase bulls calves to keep our facilities full.   Calves are picked up weekly or biweekly and stay at our operation for approximately 6 months.  Two clients are buy-sell and the remaining clients are charged by the day.

 

Calf care is time consuming, especially when top quality care is our goal.  The most labor-intensive work involves feeding, watering, bedding and health care procedures for calves.  We will describe several practices we have adopted which we believe reduced labor and optimize calf health and comfort.

 

Water management is a big problem on most calf operations.  We raise our calves in Calf-Tel Hutches where they are fed milk replacer, water and starter grain.  When weather permits, we have a water trailer converted from a 300-gallon crop sprayer.  This enables rapid delivery of clean fresh water every day.  Day old water is dumped from buckets and fresh water added daily.  

 

At weaning, calves are moved into Port-A-Hut buildings where they are self-fed grains and alfalfa hay (150 RFV and higher).  After an adjustment period they receive a TMR, which continues until they leave.

 

Calves are bed frequently to reduce heat loss during our cold northern winters.  A tub grinder with a flexible discharge hose is used to bed hutches and group pens with straw.   The initial bedding is about 8 – 10 inches.  Hutches are rebedded, as needed which depends on weather and calf health.  Incoming calves are rebedded every 3 – 5 days.  Calves from 250 – 400 lb. are bedded every day for 3 – 4 days and then every other day.    Bedding so frequently reduces heat loss and assures better gain during cold weather.

 

 

Moving calves from hutches and handling calves for routine procedures are accomplished using a Bobcat and a calf crate made by a local welding company.  The crate is used to restrain calves during dehorning, vaccinations and castrations of bull calves. 

 

 

 

 

 

Management tips have been sponsored at the 2003 Dairy Calf and Heifer Conference by: .  Special thanks to Dr. Wayne Cole, Dr. Phil Widel and Dr. Craig Jones for their support

 

Assistance in promoting the Management tips by Tom Quaife and Stan Erwine of Dairy Herd Management is gratefully acknowledged.

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