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Click here to view as a pdf: Is Paired Housing the Right Choice for Your Calf Raising Operation
By Alex Austin, B.S.
Raising replacement heifers is an important part of any dairy operation. Dairy producers have many factors to consider when deciding the best way to raise their calves. Paired housing for calves is a concept that has gained popularity, for a number of reasons, over the last decade.
Click here to view as a pdf: The Skin The Window To The Immune System
Dr. Ryan Leiterman holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.
By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.
Director of Technical Services
The skin is the frontline defense mechanism for every animal and as a result, it is under constant challenges from toxins, infectious agents and physical stresses. It’s more than just a physical barrier between the body and the environment; the skin is an active immune organ. Specialized immune cells found only in the skin are always on the lookout, patrolling for infection.
Dr. Ryan Leiterman recently contributed to Progressive Dairy Magazine with his article “4 Air Exchanges Per Hour: A History of Calf Barn Ventilation and an Industry That Is Slow To Change.”
Click here to view in Progressive Dairy: https://www.progressivedairy.com/topics/calves-heifers/4-air-exchanges-per-hour-a-history-of-calf-barn-ventilation-and-an-industry-that-is-slow-to-change
Click here to view as a pdf: Four Air Exchanges Per Hour: A History Of Calf Barn Ventilation And An Industry That Is Slow To Change
By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M
Director of Technical Services
When discussing calf barn ventilation, invariably the topic of using four air exchanges per hour for cold weather ventilation will come up. After all, we wouldn’t want “too much” of that cold air in the barn. Or would we? Who came up with the idea to use four air exchanges per hour during cold weather and why? To understand our industry’s current ventilation recommendations, we must first understand the history of calf barn ventilation research.
Click here to view as a pdf: Cold Weather Considerations For Calves
When temperatures start to drop, calf raisers need to make accommodations to ensure calves have the resources necessary to maintain their body temperature, support basic bodily functions and develop into productive, profitable, young stock. Two general areas to consider when preparing your calves for winter months are diet/nutrition and housing.
Click here to view as a pdf: Swift Start Calf Feeding Trial Update
By Teresa Marker, B.S.
The goal of any dairy calf raiser is to have a healthy, productive, replacement heifer that is a profitable addition to their milking line. The Crystal Creek® Swift Start® Calf & Heifer program consists of a line of milk replacers, texturized calf feeds, calf pellets and mineral formulated with industry-leading technology and manufactured with the highest quality ingredients available. University research has proven time and time again that the way calves are fed and raised during the pre-wean period will affect their performance later in life. In the “Swift Start® Calf Feeding Challenge” newsletter article published in April of 2017, Crystal Creek® provided documentation of superior performance results in pre-weaned calves that were on the Swift Start® Calf & Heifer program. This data showed higher body weight gains, improved feed conversion rates, improved nutrient digestibility, less veterinary intervention and smoother transitions into weaning. The calves on the Swift Start® calf feeding program not only outperformed the calves on the competitor’s program but also saved the calf raiser money. This article will take topics highlighted in the initial trial a step further and evaluate the performance of heifer calves as they transition into post-weaned heifers and ultimately, progress into the lactating herd.
Click here to view as a pdf: Calfhood Pneumonia When Is It Related To Ventilation
Dr. Ryan Leiterman holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine
By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M
Calfhood pneumonia can be frustrating to deal with. Understanding where the problem originates is the first step in creating a plan to combat it. Most cases of calfhood pneumonia can be placed into one of two broad categories: environmental causes vs. contagious causes.
Another way to look at these categories would be pneumonia cases caused by poor air quality vs. pneumonia cases caused by something other than air quality/ventilation.
Click here to view as a pdf: Comparing Calves To Bicycle Wheels
Dr. Ryan Leiterman holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine
By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M and Lorrie Meister, C.V.T.
On October 11, 1826, Theodore Jones of London, England received a patent for what he called “wire wheels”. Jones found that if he added wires, or what we now call spokes, to a circular rim, the wheel could bear greater stress while maintaining its round shape. The addition of the spokes helped the rim distribute the stress evenly throughout the wheel. This strength is dependent on all the spokes working together; if one or more spokes are weak or broken, the rim may collapse.
Dr. Ryan Leiterman’s recent article “Drafts: A Calf’s Best Friend or Greatest Foe” has been published in the Progressive Dairy Magazine. 
This article addresses why drafts are traditionally thought of as a negative experience for calves and how they can be used to one’s advantage in certain situations. Read more here to learn what the pros and cons of drafts can be in calf barn ventilation.
Click here to view as a pdf: A calf’s best friend or greatest foe
Dr. Ryan Leiterman holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.
By Dr. Ryan Leiterman
Drafts and pre-weaned calves – rarely is a topic so misunderstood. Many calf raisers are uncomfortable with the topic of drafts on calves, regardless of the outside temperature. Most people believe drafts are to be avoided at all costs. I once heard of a veterinarian who would spark a lighter in a calf pen and if the flame flickered, even the slightest bit, would declare the presence of a dangerous draft. Contrary to popular belief, however, drafts on pre-weaned calves are not always a bad thing. In fact, in certain situations, they can even be beneficial.
