Leave No Dairy Calf Behind Educational Program

Having healthy dairy replacements is critical to a farm’s overall profitability and sustainability, whether heifers are grown on-farm or custom-raised. Utilizing 40 calf management surveys, 10 on-farm workshops, 3 webinars, and 20 individual visits, producers evaluated various calf feeding and management options to make a better decision on their farm to implement a program best suited for their management, labor, and financial structure. Long term application of this educational program will produce healthy dairy replacements that will improve profitability and productivity. Over 200 participants viewed and evaluated a calf feeding and management system, with nearly 10% in the process or completed the change, which may include improved housing and ventilation systems, installation of automated calf-feeders or pasteurizers, and enhanced nutritional feeding programs