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Incentives for Dairy Calf Raising
Brian Manning
Jim Reynolds
Chief or Service, Dairy Production Medicine
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
(559) 786-4584
jreynold@vmtrc.ucdavis.edu
Calf raising on dairies is very health, condition and sanitation of the
important to the profitability of a dairy. late-gestation pregnant cows and heifers
Managed properly, the calf program can and ends when the heifer enters the
supply a surplus of healthy replacement milking herd. This discussion will focus
cattle to the dairy. If managed poorly, on the system from birth to weaning,
the calf program can consume money because this is the most labor intense
and resources, strain relationships and period of calf raising and takes the most
cause the dairy to purchase skill and management.
replacements. Dairy calf raising Dairies can raise their replacement
programs have many variations and can heifers on site, have them custom raised
include several different management at calf ranches for any part of the
areas and systems on the farm. growing cycle, or sell them after birth.
Successful calf raising begins with the
44 • D A I R Y I N C E N T I V E P AY ( 4 TH
EDITION)
INCENTIVES FOR D A I R Y C A L F R A I S I N G • 45
J.W. Schroeder, NDSU
CALF RAISING SYSTEMS ON result in more live calves, better cow
Healthy calves start from
reproductive health and better calf
DAIRIES OR CALF RANCHES health. birth: a clean and dry calf
· Poorly designed facilities require extra from birth is essential. The
Calf raising systems can be outlined
labor or result in ignoring cows that
as the following parts: goal for the maternity area is
need assistance. This will increase
1) Calves must be born in a clean and to provide clean bedding and
the still-born rate and the number of
dry area.
calves born distressed. appropriate are for both the
· Sanitation determines the pathogen
· Attending dystocias is a skilled task
load, or exposure to bacteria and dam and the calf.
that truly requires training so that
other disease agents. Calves born
trauma to the cow is minimized and
into dirty conditions will be exposed
the chance for a live calf is
to pathogens.
maximized. The herd veterinarian
· Calves born into wet conditions will
should be used to help train the
lose body temperature and will need
workers involved with delivering
to expend energy to stay warm.
calves.
Holstein calves are born with about
· Appropriate and sufficient quantities of
48 hours of energy reserves.
equipment, lubricants and
2) Dystocias must be attended by
disinfectants must be available to the
trained people in appropriate
workers at the maternity area.
facilities.
3) Calves must be fed adequate amounts
· Well-designed maternity areas allow
of clean colostrum within a few
workers to attend a cow in labor
hours of birth.
when she needs help. This will
46 • D A I R Y I N C E N T I V E P AY ( 4 TH
EDITION)
· Fly control is very important because
flies transfer pathogens around a calf
facility. Keeping the area in and
around calf housing clean, dry and
free of manure and water is very
important.
· Calves must be able to turn around
when kept in individual hutches.
· Calves must be provided dry bedding,
shade from direct sunlight and
shelter from rain or snow.
5) Calves must be fed adequate amounts
of energy and protein for growth and
health.
· Whole milk provides more calories
than most milk replacers.
· Calves in positive growth are healthier
and require less medical treatment
than calves that lose body condition
(fat stores) during early growth.
J.W. Schroeder, NDSU
· Body condition scores of calves from 7
to 28 days of age should not get
below 3 (1 to 5 scale). Thin calves
are the result of inadequate energy.
6) Rumen development must be
· Calves have an absolute requirement managed properly.
Newborn calves have an · Calves are born with small,
for colostrum. Cattle are a species
absolute requirement for that does not transfer antibodies undeveloped rumens.
from the dam to the fetus during · Rumen development occurs as a
colostrum. Colostrum
pregnancy. Therefore, the newborn response to volatile fatty acids
provides more energy and (VFAs) released during digestion of
calf is dependent on colostrum for
protein than regular milk or passive immunity as well as carbohydrates.
initiation of maturation of the · Grain intake determines VFA
milk replacer and is the only
immune system. production. Therefore, it is
source of antibodies in the imperative that calves are presented
· Colostrum has twice the solids and
newborn calf. considerably more energy and fresh, palatable grain daily so they
protein than regular milk or milk will eat grain and make VFAs.
replacer. · A calf can develop a rumen, become a
· Calves need colostrum for energy, functional ruminant and get energy
protein, antibodies and to initiate the from grain by about 3 weeks of life
digestive enzymes and parts of the if managed properly.
immune system. · Clean water must be provided to calves
4) Calves must be housed in clean and daily. Calves need water to stay
dry facilities. hydrated and grain intake is
· Sanitation is one of the key dependent on water intake.
determinants of the pathogen load in 7) Calves must be observed daily by
the calf's environment. Filth and trained personnel for attitude, body
manure expose calves to pathogens, condition score, hygiene and health.
clean housing protects calves. · Workers must be trained to understand
· Manure, mud and water decrease the how to observe calves for the above
insulating ability of hair and reduce parameters.
the calf's ability to regulate body · Workers must be trained to implement
temperature. A wet calf will use up treatment protocols when they
to 20% of it's' energy to stay warm recognize sick calves.
in cold weather. · Calf health is determined by positive
growth, which can be measured by
INCENTIVES FOR D A I R Y C A L F R A I S I N G • 47
body condition score observations. · Target body weights should be
· Workers must have the ability or established for each facility that
authority to correct problems in allow healthy transition from
housing maintenance, feeding, individual pens to group pens.
handling or treatment or be able to · Calves can generally be smaller when
direct their observations to moved into small groups of 5 to 10
supervisors who will implement calves. Calves should be larger
necessary actions. when moved into groups of over 30
· Calves that require euthanasia must be calves.
identified and humanely euthanized. · Most dairies target 175 pounds for
8) Calves should be moved from calves before moving from The goal in the hutch system
individual housing to group pens as individual pens to group pens.
is to have calves that are
soon as possible.
· Individual housing and liquid feeding alert and curious. All calves
INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMS IN
is more expensive than group must have fresh and clean
housing and solid feeding. CALF RAISING PROGRAMS
water and grain available
· Calves can only be removed from
liquid feed after they have developed Causal incentive pay programs, everyday so that they
rumens and are eating and digesting where the employee never knows when develop rumens quickly and
over 1 pound of grain daily for at a reward will be given, are used on
some farms. Examples of these maintain normal hydration.
least 3 days in a row.
American Jersey Cattle Association, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
48 • D A I R Y I N C E N T I V E P AY ( 4 TH
EDITION)
programs are when employees are given by management. Management will have
gifts, such as restaurant vouchers or to establish targets, collect the data or
cash gifts, when the owner or manager information related to each target,
feels that work has been productive or analyze the information and report to
the farm income has been good. These each employee whether or not the target
unstructured attempts to direct employee was met. If the employee did not meet
behavior by spontaneous rewards the target(s) it is necessary to tell the
usually fail in the long term because the employee why they will not get the
underlying reasons for the rewards, such incentive pay and work with them to
as hard work or increased income, have correct the situation. Many times targets
An easy way to monitor the not been clearly defined and are are not met for reasons that are out of
achieved only by happenstance and not the employee's control but require
nutrition program in young
management. management or the supervisor's
calves is to observe body Successful calf raising requires involvement. For example, a worker
condition as they grow. clearly defined goals, objectives and may do a very good job of feeding
tactics. Workers should be trained to colostrum to the calves but the milking
Body condition can be
their jobs and tasks and understand what crew may be providing the wrong milk
scored from 1 (emaciated or the outcome goals are for their specific to the calf worker, or they may not be
very thin) to 5 (fat) based on areas of work. Only then will structured cooling the evening colostrum, thus
incentive pay programs work. Incentive allowing bacteria to incubate. If
the amount of covering over
pay can be arranged for any work done management does not correct the parts
the pelvis and ribs. Calves by employees that produces more of the system that are outside the
should not be less than 3 outcome or better results than they are worker's control the worker may become
expected to provide for their base salary. disgruntled and the incentive program
body condition score as they
Incentive pay can be set for any of may become a disincentive program.
grow. The calf pictured is the areas described in the calf raising Actual dollar amounts to be given
about a 3 and represents a system outline above. Any effective and for each targeted incentive program are
lasting incentive pay program will difficult to determine and will depend
healthy calf.
require considerable interest and effort on the particular farm. Losses from calf
deaths, less than desired weight gains
and more than desired medicine costs
can be calculated and the expected
savings shared with employees when the
targets are met.
Potential areas for incentive pay in
the calf raising system could then be the
following:
Rates are usually defined as number
of cases/ number of eligible animals per
month. The analysis can be done
weekly of quarterly, depending on the
size and needs of the farm. [Editor's
note: Even if the employees are not
paid right away, the more frequent the
feedback, the better. This is especially
true when getting started on an incentive
American Jersey Cattle Association, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
pay program]
DOA rate (dead on arrival)
This is usually defined as calves that
are born dead or die within the first 24
hours after birth. The rate varies
considerably by dairy due to the
facilities, worker training, staffing
levels, pre-partum cow nutrition, pariety
INCENTIVES FOR D A I R Y C A L F R A I S I N G • 49
of the dam, housing and the owner's resist disease. If they are losing body
attitude and desires. condition or weight they will get sick.
Calculation: number of calves Calves are expected to grow at least 1.7
DOA/number of calves born per time to 2.2 pounds per day from birth
period. through the end of the liquid feeding
Suggested targets: < 5% = excellent; period (usually 60 to 80 days of age).
< 10% = achievable. Body condition is an excellent tool to
Possible corrective actions when monitor the feeding program.
target not met: increase staffing to Monitor: body condition scores in
accommodate increases calving load, calves in the individual hutches. Once
retrain employees, investigate pre- per week determine the proportion of
partum cow and heifer conditioning. calves too thin (< 3 BCS ) or normal (3
or > BCS).
Colostrum feeding Suggested target: > 80 % of calves
less than 30 days old should be 3 or
Because calves require colostrum it
greater BCS ( 1-5 scale).
is imperative that they receive it
Possible corrective actions when
promptly. Colostrum feeding is
target not met: Review the amount of
commonly monitored by testing the
energy available in the milk replacer and
blood of the calf for evidence of
that the milk replacer is mixed properly
absorbed maternal antibodies. This can
and the correct amount fed. Calves may
be done either by radial
require increases in calories depending
immunodiffusion, salt precipitation
on ambient temperature and pathogen
(sodium sulfite turbidity test) or by total
load. The milk replacer may need
serum protein determination (TP). Total
adjustment to control the body condition
proteins are determined with a hand-
scores within desired limits.
held refractometer and are easiest and
most practical for on-farm use. Calves
Rumen development
are born with about 4.5 mg/dl of TP.
Levels over 5.0 mg/dl between 2 and 8 Calf rumen development is
days of age indicate that the calf dependent on volatile fatty acid
received and absorbed maternal production in the rumen from bacterial
antibody proteins. Levels can be as breakdown of carbohydrates. This is
high as 6.5 to an occasional 7.0 mg/dl. completely manageable and should
Dehydration and age interfere with happen as early as possible so that the
interpreting TP values. calf will receive energy from grain, a
Monitor: routinely (weekly or cheaper feed than milk or milk replacer.
monthly) test a sample of calves for Calves can be developed into functional
total serum protein. Usually 10 calves ruminants by 25 days of age.
are bled for this test. Monitor: calculate the proportion of
Suggested targets: >80 % of calves calves chewing their cuds in the 25 to
should be above 5.0 mg/dl TP. > 50 of 35 day-old group.
calves should be > 5.5 mg/dl TP. Suggested target: at least 20 % of
Possible corrective actions when the calves in this group should be
target not met: verify quality of chewing cuds when observed resting.
colostrum with colostrometer, verify Possible corrective actions when
good quality colostrum is arriving at target not met: review bucket
maternity area on time, management. Make sure clean water is
available from day 1 of age and grain is
clean, fresh and palatable.
Nutrition and growth rates in young
calves Health of calves
Positive growth of calves is the Measuring the mortality (MR) or
single most important thing associated morbidity rate are outcomes that are too
with health in calves. If calves are late in the management system to be
growing and gaining weight they can very useful for economics or welfare.
50 • D A I R Y I N C E N T I V E P AY ( 4 TH
EDITION)
The mortality rate is commonly for calves less than 30 days of age and
calculated and is useful as a clear MR for calves in the group pens.
measurement of success or failure of the Suggested targets: overall MR for
calf raising system. The morbidity rate the replacement system: < 2 % per year
(number of sick calves in a time period) = excellent, < 5 % per year =
is difficult to determine accurately achievable, < 10 % per year = average
because the recognition and diagnosis of dairy or calf ranch.
calf diseases can be subjective by Possible corrective actions when
employees and most calf ranches or target not met: Review all areas of the
dairies do not adequately record calf raising system, but focus on
morbidity information. sanitation and nutrition.
Calculate: divide the number of
calves that died in a time period by the CHAPTER 4 REFERENCES
number on the ranch during that time
period. An easy way to estimate the 1. This chapter builds on Carol Collar’s
denominator is to average the begging chapter in the 3rd edition of Dairy
inventory and the ending inventory (add Incentive Pay.
the number of calves in the system at
the beginning of a month and the
number at the end of the month and
divide by 2). It is most useful to
determine mortality rates for specific
age, or management, groups such as MR
Sibylle Möcklinghoff-Wicke
