DAIRY ST R FALL & WINTER
Calf & Heifer Special Edition
November 11, 2023
Raising calves on a large scale hutches line the property — Hall’s Calf 5,200 hutches in all. In ad21 barns house 3,500 Ranch home dition, calves. Calves spend their rst days at the ranch in what to 8,500 head three Hall calls a warm barn to regBy Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
KEWAUNEE, Wis. — A business that began with 15 hutches in J Hall’s backyard in 1995 expanded into a custom calf-raising operation that today serves as a temporary home to 8,500 calves. Hall’s Calf Ranch takes in heifers and bulls from 40 farms and custom raises heifers for 27 farms. “We bring in 120 calves per day, seven days a week,” Hall said. Calves arrive at the ranch anywhere from eight hours to 7 days old, with out-of-state calves coming in at the top end of that range. About half are bull calves on hand for a brief stay, while the other half are heifers that will live at the ranch until returning home at about 4.5 months of age. The farm also serves as a depot for certain calves, such as beef crossbreds, and bull calves are sent out seven days a week. Rows upon rows calf
ulate body temperature. Here, calves are weighed, and blood samples are taken to test for bovine viral diarrhea and serum protein levels. Calves receive electronic identication if they do not already have it and are entered into the computer system. Calves that test positive for BVD are quarantined and retested. If they test positive for BVD a second time, they are euthanized immediately. Hall and his crew of 60 employees carefully follow protocols to produce successful results. To en-sure calves get the best start before heading his way, Hall has certain expectations of his clients. For ex-ample, he requests that a calf be given 6 quarts of colostrum before pickup. He also watches serum protein numbers closely. “We try to get above 6 for serum proteins,” Hall said. “These calves get a lot better daily gain and have less treatment rates.” From the warm barn, calves are moved into hutches.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
J Hall, owner of Hall’s Calf Ranch, pauses for a photo following a tour of his farm Oct. 18 held as part of the Professional Dairy Producers Calf Care ConnecƟon workshop near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Hall raises 8,500 calves. It takes two hours to feed milk, and calves are fed twice a day, at 5:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. For the rst 21 days, calves receive a 22:20 protein/fat milk replacer blend via bottle before switching to whole milk.
Hall also blends milk replacer that includes vitamins, minerals and probiotics to add to the whole milk. “We feed milk replacer in the beginning because it is perfectly consistent and is a prod-
uct that works really well for baby calves,” Hall said. There are 1,500 calves on bottles at any given time in the hutches and about 200 calves on bottles in the warm barn. Turn to HALL | Page 2
Page 2 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
DAIRY ST R
ConƟnued from HALL | Page 1
www.dairystar.com
ISSN Print: 2834-619X • Online: 2834-6203
522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Published by Star Publications LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition - 320-352-6303 Nancy Powell • nancy.p@dairystar.com Karen Knoblach • karen.k@star-pub.com Annika Gunderson • annika@star-pub.com Editorial Staff Jan Lefebvre - Assistant Editor 320-290-5980 • jan.l@star-pub.com Maria Bichler - Assistant Editor 320-352-6303 • maria.b@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Assistant Editor 262-442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman - Staff Writer 608-487-1101 • danielle.n@dairystar.com Abby Wiedmeyer - Staff Writer 608-487-4812 • abby.w@dairystar.com Tiffany Klaphake - Staff Writer 320-352-6303 • tiffany.k@dairystar.com Amy Kyllo - Staff Writer amy.k@star-pub.com Emily Breth - Staff Writer emily.b@star-pub.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com National Sales Manager - Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 • fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 • jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 • mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa, Southwest Wisconsin) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Julia Mullenbach (Southeast MN and Northeast IA) 507-438-7739 • julia.m@star-pub.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) • 320-248-3196 (cell) Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $40.00, outside the U.S. $200.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star / Star Publications LLC.
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Hall’s Calf Ranch uses 5,200 hutches to raise calves on milk through 8 weeks of age near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. J Hall has built his facility in such a way that all liquids from the hutches drain downward and are pumped into a lagoon. “We used to be all pails from day one, but calves were not always getting trained properly,” Hall said. “When we had fewer calves and fewer people, it worked better. Then we tried bottles all the way out, but calves were not getting enough grain and water intake.” Calves start out receiving 2 quarts of milk at each feeding before moving up to 3 quarts per feeding at 7 to 10 days of age. Calves then receive up to a gallon of milk until 6 weeks of age before being dropped back to 3 quarts. At 7 weeks, they receive 2 quarts. By 8 weeks, calves are off milk, and most are eating 3 pounds of grain. “Calves get all the grain and water they want,” Hall said. Hall feeds non-saleable milk from large dairies and has storage for about three semi loads. Milk is pasteurized before it is fed to calves at approximately 105 degrees. When it gets cold, milk is served at 110 degrees. In summer, milk is slightly cooler at 98 to 100 degrees. Calves are grouped according to the day they arrive, and Hall also tries to keep calves from the same farm together in a row of hutches. Hall said calves cultivate immunity, resulting in resilient animals. “When that animal goes back to the dairy, it’s solid,” Hall said. “She doesn’t get sick because she’s been around oth-
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
An employee of Hall’s Calf Ranch feeds milk to calves on the aŌernoon of Oct. 18 near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Calves are fed twice a day, at 5:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. er animals and built a decent immune system.” The farm’s treatment rate for scours is 2% to 3%, and respiratory treatment at 6 weeks of age is 12% to 15%. The death and cull rate for the entire farm averages 3% year-round. “Ultrasounding calves’ lungs is a tool that helped improve our management,” Hall said. Hutches are not washed on a regular basis. Instead, they are sanitized, and an absorbent, anti-bacterial desic-
cant powder is put on the ground before a new calf enters the hutch. Hall said they will wash a hutch if it housed a sick calf. “Just about every year, we buy new hutches, but we don’t see any difference in treatment rate, rate of gain or death loss on new hutches versus hutches that are 30 years old,” Hall said.
Turn to HALL | Page 4
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Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 3
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Page 4 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
ConƟnued from HALL | Page 2 Calves move from hutch- ly gain for calves zero to 5 es to an open bedded pack months of age is 2 pounds. Protecting the environbarn where they are housed in groups of 12 and fed a diet of ment is a top concern for Hall, starter grain, dry hay, corn si- and he has built his facility in lage, haylage and protein pel- such a way that all liquids from lets for three weeks. They then the hutches drain downward transfer to a ration containing and are pumped into a lagoon. “There is no runoff from higher levels of corn silage and haylage. By 4 months old, our facility,” Hall said. “The calves are switched to primari- rst 10 minutes of every rainly forages and moved to barns fall is put into the pit. After with headlocks for two to three that, water goes into a vegeweeks before being sent home. tative treatment area — a big Calves leave at either 70 grass eld — and whatever days of age or 140 to 160 days makes it to the end of the eld of age. is pumped back to the pit.” “Ten farms take them at 70 Hall’s Calf Ranch is at days out of the hutches,” Hall capacity. Looking to the fusaid. ture, Hall said he is focused on In the last few years, Hall continuing to improve versus has pushed up solids in the growing the operation. milk, resulting in a higher pro“We want to focus on how tein and fat diet. to clean and reuse our water “Calves are getting more instead of discharging it,” Hall nutrients in their milk each said. “We also want to become day,” Hall said. “They are more efcient with our feeds healthier and have better and labor. Having healthier, growth rates.” stronger, bigger calves is the The farm’s average dai- goal.”
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Calves drink from boƩles Oct. 18 at Hall’s Calf Ranch near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Calves use boƩles for the rst three weeks before transferring to pails.
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Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 5
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Page 6 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
Turning tragedy into chance for growth
Maiers rebuild calf barn following re By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
THORP, Wis. — Brandon and Meridith Maier learned last year that sometimes they have to go through terrible situations to be allowed the opportunity to grow and improve. The morning of Feb. 26, 2022, the Maiers experienced tragedy on their Clark County dairy farm in Thorp, suffering the complete loss of their calf barn, and all of the calves inside, to an early morning re. “It was difcult at the time, but now we are really feeling that loss,” Brandon said. “Those 25 calves would have been starting to calve in this fall and winter. It left a real hole in our herd.” Despite the devastating loss they incurred that late winter morning, they were determined to build a new facility that might better suit their needs. “We were kind of at a loss on where to start,” Meridith said. “We visited some farms in the area to look at different
calf barns people were building and using, and we took different ideas from many of them and made them into what we felt might work for us. We really decided that for us, simple was better.” The Maiers, who milk 170 cows, built a 60- by 60foot barn to house their calves. Their calves were moved into their new calf facility in November 2022, just in time to avoid the trials of raising calves in hutches during a cold and snowy central Wisconsin winter. “The calves were healthy being raised in hutches over the winter, but I never felt like I spent the time I should be spending watching them,” Meridith said. “I feel like I am able to give them so much more attention in here out of the elements.” As they determined the direction they wanted to go, the Maiers considered changes that might come down the road. “We built the barn in such a manner that it could work for other uses in the future if using it for something else best t our needs,” Meridith said. The calf barn that burnt was an older structure that ran north and south. “It was like a main shed with a lean-to built off it,” Me-
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Meridith and Brandon Maier stand in their recently built calf barn Oct. 27 on their 170-cow dairy farm near Thorp, Wisconsin. The Maiers built the barn a�er suffering a calf barn re Feb. 26, 2022. ridith said. “It was small and compact, and hard to ventilate.” The old calf barn sat about
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The Maiers use individual Calf-Tel pens to house approximately 40 calves in their new calf facility at Maier’s Acres Dairy Farm near Thorp, Wisconsin. Calves stay in the barn unƟl they are weaned between 3 and 4 months of age. “It was close enough that there was concern of the milkhouse catching on re,” Brandon said. “The only reason the barn didn’t catch on re is that the milkers grabbed the wash-down hose and were spraying down the milkhouse and the side of the barn.” While they rebuilt the facility in much the same location, the Maiers moved the new barn further away from the milkhouse and built up the area to keep the new barn from facing the same water issues as the previous barn. “Every spring and winter, we used to have to build sand barriers around the old barn to keep water from running in,” Brandon said. “One of the greatest improvements we have made is being able to elevate the building to eliminate that problem.” The Maiers also changed the direction of the building to lie east and west. “Changing the direction of the building gives us the option to expand it in the future if we want,” Brandon said. “We can double the size if that is something that ts in our future plans.” Besides the loss they had experienced, the Maiers said other factors created challenges they needed to contend with while choosing the design of the facility and throughout its construction. “It was kind of a challenge because of the budget we were on,” Brandon said. “The insurance check did not mesh with current building costs for building the replacement.” Timing played a factor in their building plans as well. “Waiting to build in the fall, rather than building in the summer, saved us a lot of money,” Brandon said. “When we were pricing materials, things were a lot higher in the summer than they ended up being in the fall.”
Because of that budget, they left the oor unnished rather than using concrete, which Meridith said she likes. “The sand oor makes drainage so much better,” Meridith said. “I actually feel like it keeps the calves and pens drier.” The new barn features individual Calf-Tel pens, arranged to maximize the use of space while allowing for an easy ow in caring for calves. At any given time, the Maiers typically have around 40 calves residing in the structure. “We debated how we wanted to set the pens up,” Brandon said. “The nice thing about these pens is that we can recongure things if we decide we want to change how the barn is setup.” The Maiers feed their calves whole milk and wean between 3 and 4 months of age. After weaning, calves are moved to small groups housed in super hutches. They spend about two months in those small groups before being moved to larger group pens in the heifer barn. Natural ventilation has been working in the barn so far, but the addition of ventilation tubes is on the Maiers’ agenda in the next few months. Because of the budgetary limitations they faced building the structure, the Maiers decided to postpone building the milk room in their new calf barn. They hope to complete that portion of the project within the next year as well. “This has been great for our calves,” Meridith said. “I don’t think we struggle with respiratory issues as much as we did in the old building. Living through the re was awful, but being able to build this facility has turned out to be a blessing for our farm, allowing us to raise healthier calves.”
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The calf barn built at Brandon and Meridith Maier’s dairy farm faces east and west near Thorp, Wisconsin. The posiƟoning allows them the potenƟal to double the barn in size.
Page 8 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
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Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 9
Caring for calves acres, and does custom comBakebergs bining and big-square baling. The couple has three designed facility young daughters — Harper, Olivia and Hattie — who to improve make up the sixth generation process on the farm. By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
WAVERLY, Minn. — In 2021, the Bakeberg family of Goldview Farms near Waverly launched plans for a new calf facility where an old pig barn stood on their site. By January 2022, the pig barn was gone and the family was already housing calves in their spacious new building there, complete with a separate mixing room. “We had been using an old converted milk barn — part of that was our calf barn,” Joanna Bakeberg said. “We only had 15 stalls, so we’ve expanded to 30 stalls in (the new barn) and added more group pens for weaned calves.” Joanna and her mother-inlaw, Faye Bakeberg, handle calf care at Goldview Farms. Joanna then takes care of older calves up to breeding age. She also primarily operates the steer program on the farm. Her husband, Pat, milks cows, handles herd health, farms 850
The Bakebergs milk 120 cows in a double-6 parlor. The new 32- by 88-foot calf facility has fullled several goals. “It’s twofold — it’s a calf barn and also on the back side it’s a monoslope,” Joanna said. “We expanded our nished-steer operation, so we no longer typically sell any of our wet bull calves, and we raise and nish out all of our steers now. We decided, at the same time, we would expand and improve with a calf barn facility.” All of the Bakebergs’ animals now stay on their site unless or until they are sold. Today, the new calf facility is almost full. “I’m up to 24 calves on milk now, and I’ve got room for 30,” Joanna said. “By the end of November, I’ll be full just with what I have left to calve yet — actually, overfull.” After considering stall options for the barn, the Bakebergs looked for a system that would allow for ease in both arrangement and cleaning. “We went with the Calf-
EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR
Joanna Bakeberg (leŌ) and Faye Bakeberg check on weaned calves Oct. 31 in their new calf facility on their farm near Waverly, Minnesota. The Bakebergs milk 120 cows in a double-6 parlor.
Tel system so that we could pull all the stalls out and get the skid loader in and clean (areas of the barn),” Joanna said. “It takes me longer to take the stalls apart and put them back together than it does to clean anything.”
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Joanna and Faye said the stalls have worked well. “We start on one end, ll up a row (with calves), and, as we wean them, we’ll take the stall apart,” Joanna said. “We either pressure wash the stalls outside, or — because
we have a oor drain — in the winter when it gets really cold, I can wash them right inside here. It’s fantastic.” Turn to BAKEBERGS | Page 10
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Page 10 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
ConƟnued from BAKEBERGS | Page 9
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EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR
A calf stands in its hut Oct. 31 in the new calf facility at Goldview Farms near Waverly, Minnesota. Calves are kept in separate pens unƟl they are weaned.
All stalls and pens in the facility are bedded with sawdust. Newborn calves are rst placed in individual stalls. After eight weeks, they are weaned into groups of four or ve in nearby pens and kept there until 10 months old when they are moved to the heifer barn. “This starts them off in that smaller group, and we can keep a closer eye on them, feed them a little bit more tailored,” Joanna said. “It works really nice because then they move into the next barn into groups of about 10 or 12.”
Both Joanna and Faye said the setup in the barn makes it easier to work with and move calves. “Now with the smaller group pens, I can wean a couple calves at a time, take them over to the other barn, and I can do it by myself,” Joanna said. “I don’t need another person to help when I’m moving them within this barn.” Faye agreed. She has worked with calves on the farm for 53 years and said she appreciates the upgrade. Turn to BAKEBERGS | Page 11
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“We began looking at a bottle washer to keep bottles cleaner and eliminate an extra job. After seeing the option to purchase the bottle washer and pasteurizer combination, we started to look at its benefits. Once we calculated what we would save by not buying bags of milk replacers, it was an easy decision to add the pasteurizer. Since installing the new system of the bottle washer and pasteurizer combination the calves drink better and are healthier.”
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“It’s so much easier in here,” Faye said. “It’s easy to feed calves even with a 10-month-old granddaughter walking around here in her walker and two other ones riding their bikes.” She said she remembers how tricky it was to feed calves when she was new to the farm and her father-in-law would help her. “We had group pens — there would probably be 12 in a group — and I had six pails and could only feed six at a time,” Faye said. The calves would crowd her, trying to get to the pails, so she had to wrestle with them and keep track so that all were fed the same amount. “I had to mark one group with a pink marker so that I could keep them straight,” Faye said. “It was not easy. When you had to get them to learn how to drink out of a bucket — which we did right away since we never used bottles at all — you had to get in there with them and crawl over gates and other stuff.” The Bakebergs, Joanna said, are often asked why they did not install automatic calf feeders. “Due to our smaller herd size, we didn’t feel we calve a consistent enough number of animals each month to make auto feeders work well for us,” she said. The barn has a mixing area that was built as a large separate room with doors so that it can be shut off from the main barn. “We can heat this room a little bit warmer because it is closed off, and we made it bigger than we
“I’m learning how to feed the right way and mix the right amount of everything. Before it was just getting a bucket of water that you made room temperature or a little warmer, putting a scoop of milk replacer in it and mixing it up.”
Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 11
EMILY BRETH/DAIRY STAR
Joanna Bakeberg feeds caƩle hay Oct. 31 in the heifer barn on her family’s farm near Waverly, Minnesota. The caƩle are kept in groups of around 10 at this stage.
Today’s Consumption Tomorrow’s Production
JOANNA BAKEBERG
need right now because our goal is to invest in some kind of (portable milk) system within the next three to ve years,” Joanna said. “It’s nice to have everything separate.” Faye agreed. “This is so much nicer,” she said. “I’m learning how to feed the right way and mix the right amount of everything. Before it was just getting a bucket of water that you made room temperature or a little warmer, putting a scoop of milk replacer in it and mixing it up.” The only part of the new facility that did not more than meet their satisfaction, Johanna said, is the tube ventilation system. Although it allows for clean air exchange during the winter, it is not measuring up when it comes to air ow. “We’re looking into adding a more specialized ceiling-fan system,” Joanna said. “We’re just not getting enough air ow over the individual pens. We’re feeling it more in the summer — the humid, stale air — even with all of the windows and sliders open.” However, the facility has brought several rewards, Joanna said. Having younger calves in their own, separate facility has improved the herd. “Overall, with this barn, we are improving on our calf health — we’re getting a healthier calf,” Joanna said. “We’re starting to calve in our rst heifers that were in this (new) barn, and in the growth and overall stature of them, we’re nding some improvements once they get into the milking herd. That’s really rewarding to see.” The barn has also made for happier humans. “We’ve made it easier on ourselves,” Joanna said. “The labor savings aspect has been a big feature. It’s been a big improvement from what we had.”
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Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 13
Wards’ calf barn uses technology to create healthy environment By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
ST. CHARLES, Minn. — The Wards’ new calf facility works to replicate the life of calves in nature within a conned unit. “Nobody tells a beef calf when to eat, how much to drink and not to socialize,” Minnie Ward said. “(Beef calves are) right out in an environment with lots of fresh air, grass aplenty, water — and Mom is accessible 24/7. This was the next best thing.” Randy and Minnie Ward, along with their daughters, Riley and Hanna, have a custom calf raising operation for calves 0-5 months near St. Charles. Last spring, they moved their calves from pair housing in hutches into a new calf barn. Their barn features up to four separate group pens which hold about 25 calves per pen, each with access to a CalfStar automatic calf
Mimicking nature feeder. The pens are cement bottomed, with 2-foot cement retaining walls around the perimeter with coated ber glass gates on top. The barn is ventilated with a low-set bank of fans as well as venting where the roof meets the wall. Randy and Minnie both work full time off the farm, Randy for Grain Handler and Minnie as an independent calf consultant. Building a barn has helped them make their all-in-house labor needs more manageable. Before they built their facility, they were feeding calves at 5 a.m., working their full-time jobs and then coming home and working with the calves again until 9 or 10 p.m. Weekends were spent trying to catch up on extra tasks. One of the most important aims of the Wards as they built their barn was ensuring proper ventilation. The bank of fans installed in the barn are purposely set close to the ground so that there is air movement at the level of the barn where the calves are. They also installed an ammonia detector to monitor the levels of ammonia coming off the pen pack.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Randy (from leŌ), Minnie and Hanna Ward stand Oct. 23 in their calf barn at their farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The Wards moved into their facility this spring.
The pens are bedded with sawdust topped in straw. They can go about three weeks before ammonia levels begin to rise and it is time to clean them.
Another key item in the calf barn is a strip of heated cement along one side of the barn which has the waterers on it and the automatic calf stalls. This section of cement
also has a heated, sloped drain running the length of it, including behind the calves as they drink at the calf stall. Turn to WARDS | Page 14
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Page 14 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
Con�nued from WARDS | Page 13
This piece was added because of something they learned from the past barn. In the winter, without heated cement, water by the waterers would freeze into ice and calves would slip. Also, they found that the calves would make a mess behind the calf feeder. The drain in the new barn is meant to help deal with that. Minnie worked for CalfStar for eight years as a calf consultant and ended up choosing the company’s automatic feeders because they were, at the time, the only
feeders that they knew about with a nipple sanitation system built in. After each calf drinks, the nipple is sprayed with disinfectant to remove pathogens from the nipple and to help with cross contamination. Their calf feeder is part of a plug and play system. There are two satellite calf feeders, and the other two machines are connected inside a fully built pod which almost resembles a food truck inside their barn. The Wards add milk replacer four times a day with
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Hanna Ward checks the automa�c calf feeder Oct. 23 in the Wards’ calf barn at their farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The automa�c calf feeder tracks the calves and allows the Wards to focus their a�en�on on the health of their calves.
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
Calves rest Oct. 23 in the Wards’ calf barn at their farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The Wards use a bank of fans to keep their calf barn well ven�lated and have an ammonia detector to track ammonia levels off of the pen pack.
their system. The calf feeder technology tracks every calf and can be programmed to give calves differing amounts of daily milk replacer. It also pinpoints calves whose milk consumption is down. Randy said this helps with placing focus on the small number of calves that are not doing
as well at a given time. The Wards do not have a sick pen; instead, each group of calves is together. Their automatic calf feeder also weighs calves, which helps keep track of rate of gain without having to work the calves. “If you can keep your
hands off of those calves, the less stress they will have on them,” Minnie said. On average, calves usually consume between 2.25 and 2.5 pounds of gain per day with top calves even reaching 3 pounds per day. Turn to WARDS | Page 16
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Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 15
Page 16 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
ConƟnued from WARDS | Page 14
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AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
A calf drinks out of an automaƟc calf feeder Oct. 23 in the Wards’ calf barn at their farm near St. Charles, Minnesota. The automaƟc calf feeder weighs the calves when they eat, allowing the Wards to track daily weight gains.
The new barn also makes it much easier for the Wards to provide free-choice hay, water and electrolytes compared to hutches where it was difcult to provide all of these items and keep them clean, especially with two calves per hutch. The Wards thought about putting a hopper extension onto their automatic calf feeder that would allow them to back log it with extra milk replacer so that they could leave it unattended for longer periods. However, they decided that this labor-saving tool would defeat the point of making sure they are checking on their calves often. “Sometimes a little bit of time and a little bit of labor is probably the best thing,” Randy said. Minnie agreed. “Technology is great, but eyes on your calves are what it needs to be,” she said. In the group pens, the calves are often seen dashing about and playing together, something that Minnie said she enjoys watching. “Group housing … is actually benecial to the calf socialization,” Minnie said. “When you look at animal welfare and all the events around that, you have to look to the future.” When it comes to transitioning, calves move down the barn from pen to pen as they grow. The Wards began moving dirt for the barn in October 2022. The site for their barn was exactly where they had previously been putting their hutches, so during the time they were building, they moved the hutches onto a harvested eld. The Wards said the wheels on their Milk Taxi fell off twice from mud. “It was brutal,” Randy said. “It was probably the worst three months of our life.” During the building process, they made changes to their plans, which included switching to stainless steel doors, increasing lighting, widening a doorway and not allowing their contractors to put uncovered pulp board on the back wall. The Wards’ barn adjoins an older barn where the weaned calves are housed. Because the ground was at a different height originally, the two barns were going to be at a few feet of difference in elevation. They ended up putting in ll and having the new barn at the same elevation. The Wards said this was the best advice they were given in the process.
Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 17
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Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Breuer shows aƩendees how to posiƟon chains on a calf’s feet when needing to assist delivery during a Professional Dairy Producers Calf Care ConnecƟon workshop session Oct. 18 near Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Breuer said that two placements on each leg distributes the appropriate amount of force. Breuer said, the next step is to How to make the most position, stimulate the calf to take deep breaths and promote the calf to shake its head, of a calf’s rst day which will remove uid and encourage normal breathing. Poking a calf’s nosBy Stacey Smart trils and/or ear with straw is one stimustacey.s@dairystar.com lation method that promotes clearing of uid from the upper respiratory tract and KEWAUNEE, Wis. — Helping a mouth. Splashing a small amount of cold calf ourish during its rst moments of water over the calf’s head, but avoiding life was the focus of a Professional Dairy the nostrils, or less than one-quarter cup Producers Calf Care Connection session of water in its ear is another means for inducing a gasp reex and forcing a deep Oct. 18 in Kewaunee. Dr. Ryan Breuer, DVM, University breath, Breuer said. “I typically do this in warmer times of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, shared tips for newborn of the year; I don’t do it when it’s less calf care during his presentation, “Neo- than 50 degrees,” he said. “You only natal calf care — Making the most of the want to use a small amount of water in the ear because you do not want to incite rst 24 hours.” Breuer used a calf model simulator to cause for an ear infection.” Breuer recommends stimulating demonstrate several techniques, including how to correctly position a newborn breathing as soon as possible. This can calf shortly after an assisted delivery. The be done once the thorax is free from the calf is situated in the upright recover sit- birthing canal, especially in events of ting position with its front limbs placed hip-locked calves. Breuer also demonstrated the correct forward and hind limbs placed toward way to apply chains on a calf’s limbs the calf’s elbows to allow for the chest to when assistance is required during delivexpand and lungs to ll with air. “You tuck the rear-end under itself ery. “Chain placement is very importto stabilize the calf so its lungs can exant, and we have to make sure we place pand,” Breuer said. “You sit the calf up, and it will not fall over when in this po- calving chains on legs appropriately,” sition.” Turn to NEWBORNS | Page 18 After moving the calf to an upright
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ConƟnued from NEWBORNS | Page 17 he said. “The double-loop placements sisted in delivery, Breuer said. The newborn calf should be moved on each leg distributes the appropriate amount of force to that limb. We want to a clean and dry area and monitored it appropriately placed above and below to ensure it is meeting normal paramethe joints of the leg to place reduced and ters. Calves should lift their head within correct force on the bones and tissues of three minutes of birth, sit up within ve the limb. If you place only one loop, then minutes, attempt to stand within 20 minyou’re putting more pressure on the bone utes and be standing by the time they are one hour old. Within two hours, calves and tissues, and it could fracture.” Breuer said farms can improve chain should be suckling. Normal vitals within placement by paying attention to where the rst 24 hours include a temperature the back side of the chain is placed. of 101 to 103 degrees, a heart rate of 90 “The chain should be placed over to 160 beats per minute and a respiratory the top side of the foot,” Breuer said. rate of 50 to 75 beats per minute. “We want to make sure that when we’re If a farm feeds colostrum with an pulling, we are not hyperextending and esophageal tube feeder, Breuer said it stretching ligaments in opposite direc- should only be used for the rst feeding, tions.” not the second. Breuer said assistance during deliv“Large rst feedings of colostrum ery should be given to cows in labor only can expand the abomasum too much, when necessary. and when you try to force feed a second “We should aim to assist in less than feeding with an esophageal tube feeder, 30% of calvings,” he said. “The more we a calf’s stomach can get too full and can assist, the more problems we cause. Also, cause undue pain and stress,” he said. we should never assist to speed up calv- “Offer the second feeding with a bottle ing.” instead. Don’t force a second feeding. If Breuer highlighted goals for the the calf doesn’t want to nurse, come back calving pen and said the stillbirth rate for later.” the herd should be less than 5%. He deWhen plastic tube feeders become ned a stillbirth calf as one that has died laden with abrasions, Breuer said to at the time of birth or shortly after. For throw it away as bacteria biolms build rst-lactation animals, Breuer said a goal up within those abrasions. Breuer also of less than 6% is acceptable, and 4% is said to use tubing systems with a shutreasonable for cows in their second lacta- off valve and clamp to avoid causing retion and greater. spiratory disease from milk that trickles Calving assistance can result in re- down the tube as it is removed at the end duced calf survival due to broken bones, of feeding. Breuer said, as well as causing increased Breuer recognized that there is varicalf injury and a higher risk for disease. ation in the level of intervention a new“There is a lot of pain and inamma- born needs once it hits the ground. That tion that calves can go through if we as- is why it is important to have training and sist delivery inappropriately and pull too management in place at maternity pens. hard,” Breuer said. “Typically, a normal birth does not Pulling a calf can also create poten- need too much assistance because the tial damage and injury to the cow. Low- cow will start stimulating the calf to act er milk production in the rst 60 days, normally,” Breuer said. “But if the calf reduced reproductive performance and is not responding or the cow is too worn a greater chance for metabolic problems out after delivery, that’s when we have to are issues cows might face after being as- step in and help that calf.”
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Manure Spreaders
Tube Fans Ventilation Curtains
Green or Dried • Consistent Quality • Year Round Supply Manure Scrapers
Waterers Dried & Screened through our triple bypass dryer system for low dust content. Our sawdust was tested at the University of Minnesota for Udder Health and has been found to be very clean with “incredibly low” bacterial counts.
Headlocks & Feed-thru Panels
KEEP YOUR ANIMALS WARM & HEALTHY Stock up on winter bedding!
Sold by Semi loads or pick up in yard. L & M Custom Drying A & C Sawdust 1-866-854-7196 Email: Management@acsawdust.com www.acsawdust.com
Oldest & Most Experienced Dealer In Central MN!
Call Us
320-836-2697
After Hours: 320-267-8568 310 Industrial Dr. Freeport, MN
Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023 • Page 19
Quality Famo Animal Feed Products Get highest quality animal feed when you opt for Famo Feeds for maintaining the health and growth of your livestock.
We Offer the Following:
Check Out Our Selection of Animal Feeds:
KENT FEEDS • Framework 365 Mineral™ • Home Fresh® • NutriVantage® • Precision Dairy Beef Cattle Feeds • Kent Show Feeds FAMO FEEDS • Herd Builder
• Livestock Feed • Dairy-Custom dairy proteins and vital choice pre-mixes
NATURAL AND ORGANIC SUPPLIES
Choose from a wide range of natural and organic products like natural dry cow feed and natural heifer mineral at prices that won’t break your budget. You’ll be glad to know that we offer FREE delivery for most orders.
Feed Co. | 320-243-3938 | 210 Minnie St., Paynesville, MN
V-Trainers
Looking to raise your heifers! Offering to dairy farmers from WI, IA, MN, SD & ND
We raise heifers post-weaned to 4 weeks pre-fresh. Heifers are individually weighed multiple times throughout their time at Prairie Dairy to monitor growth and performance. Monthly statements include: heifer inventory, breeding, & herd health information.
3 Sizes Available: • 8’ Panel - 6 Openings • 10’ Panel - 8 Openings • 12’ Panel - 10 Openings
Included in our costs:
• Veterinary services & vaccination program • Regular foot baths • Hoof trimming • 3 pregnancy checks • Nutritionist balanced ration • Average daily gains over 2lbs per day/calving under 24 months
Prairie Dairy Inc. Custom Dairy Replacements
Proudly serving the dairy industry since 1997
133 Atlantic Ave. NE Pennock, MN
Ed 920-960-8910 Jason 920-960-8921
320-599-4466
Email: prairiedairy97@gmail.com Oakfield, WI
ULTRA FLEX-PEN AND MILK BAR REVOLUTION NIPPLE ™
The Perfect Pairing for Optimal Calf Performance
NEW Revolution Snap On Nipples: The Ultra Flex-Pen is an innovative lightweight system that can be used for single or paired calf housing. Available in 5’, 6’, 7’ lengths. Combine our pens with the Revolution Snap On Nipple, and have a winning combination. Begin Strong, Stay Strong. Steve Bartlam Midwest Sales Manager 678-983-9192 steveb@agri-plastics.net
Feed your calves as nature intended! Milk Bar™+ Agri-Plastics: Your New Partnership for High-Performance Calf Raising
Page 20 • Dairy Star Special Edition • Saturday, November 11, 2023
Polydome has the Unique and Specialty Ag Products You You Are Looking For y
P OLY D OME the Nursery that ingnited an industry
P OLY S QUARE has multiple feeder options
M EGA H UT Expandable for large animals
C ONVERTIBLE H UT for indoor or outdoor use
H IGH D OOR P OLY D OME for use with fence panels
All PolyDome shelters are made from high-impact UV stabilized polyethylene making them light enough to move easily, yet sturdy enough to withstand the elements.
Stationary with metal stand
MILK MASTERS
Designed to make mixing fast and easy
FOOT BATH
A quick and easy way to clean and disinfect cattle’s feet
PORTABLE MILK MASTERS
• Two sizes available in self-supporting design –no need for wood framing • Available in 4 sizes to be supported by wood frames (not included)
The easy way to deliver milk replacer
Feed Carts
UTILITY SLEDS
The affordable answer or your winter hauling needs
WHEELBARROW REPLACEMENTS
Make your old wheelbarrow look like new
www.polydome.com
1-800-328-7659
• ADKINS EQUIPMENT Detroit Lakes, MN • 218-847-2079
• AG VENTURE FEED & SEED Watkins, MN • 320-764-9910
• ROBERT FAUST Strawberry Point, IA • 563-933-6561
• PIERZ CO-OP Pierz, MN • 320-468-6655
• HWY FEEDS Platteville, WI • 608-744-2444
• LINDELL SALES & SERVICE Cannon Falls, MN • 651-258-4311
• BJERGA FEED Motley, MN • 218-352-6383
• INWOOD HATCHERY Inwood, IA • 712-753-4736
• SIOUX NATION VET SUPPLY Marshall, MN • 507-532-3716
• GORTER’S CLAY & DAIRY • GILMAN CO-OP CREAMERY EQUIPMENT, INC. Gilman, MN • 320-387-2770 Pipestone, MN • 507-825-3271
• FREUDENTHAL MFG. Medford, WI • 715-748-4132
• DAIRYLAND SUPPLY Sauk Centre MN • 320-352-3987
• SHELDON POWER & EQUIP. • LEEDSTONE Melrose, MN • 800-996-3303 Sheldon, IA • 712-324-4455
• RON MILLER Waconia, MN • 952-442-4808
• FEDERATED CO-OPS Princeton, MN • 763-389-1567
• GERTKEN’S SALES Richmond, MN • 320-597-2207 • FARMER’S CO-OP Lafayette, MN • 507-228-8224
• AGRI-TECH Watertown, SD • 605-882-7015 Brookings, SD • 605-692-0955