Pnuemonia Archives - Crystal Creek

Dr. Ryan Leiterman Contributes to Progressive Dairy Magazine

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.

Progressive Dairy Magazine Features “Calves and Bicycle Wheels” by Dr. Leiterman and Lorrie Meister, CVT

Crystal Creek® is proud to announce that Dr. Ryan Leiterman and Lorrie Meister’s recent article “Calves and Bicycle Wheels-A Systematic Approach to Troubleshooting Pre-weaned Calves“, has been published in the Progressive Dairy Magazine. This article discusses the evaluation of overall calf health. Break one spoke on a wheel, and the whole wheel collapses. Calves are no different. Every aspect of calf care must be carefully managed to optimize calf health and growth. Read more to learn how your calves can benefit from these concepts.

Click here to view as a pdf: Calves and bicycle wheels- A systematic approach to troubleshooting pre-weaned calves

Dr. Ryan Leiterman holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.

By Dr. Ryan Leiterman and Lorrie Meister, CVT

On Oct. 11, 1826, Theodore Jones of London, England, received a patent for what he called “wire wheels.” Jones found 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. In the same way spokes help keep a wheel round, calves have six main “spokes” that help keep them healthy when subject to stress, which are:

1. Colostrum 2. Calories
3. Bedding 4. Air Quality
5. Vaccination 6. Sanitation

Ventilating A Retrofitted Stanchion Barn For Calves

Click here to view as a pdf: Ventilating A Retrofitted Stanchion Barn For Calves

By Jessica Getschel, B.S.

There’s nothing more picturesque than a dairy farm with a big red barn on a cobblestone foundation. Many of these barns, referred to as stanchion, tiestall or bank barns, were built decades ago and tell stories of families who have been dairy farming for generations.

Over the years, many farmers have moved out of these older barns and into modern freestall barns for a variety of reasons: expanding herd size, new cow comfort recommendations or a new milking system, to name a few. This departure leaves a vacant building prized for its emotional value to the farm.

Understanding The Principles Of Calf Barn Ventilation

Click here to view as a pdf: Understanding The Principles Of Calf Barn Ventilation

By Jessica Getschel, B.S.

Understanding the basic principles of calf barn ventilation is essential in evaluating the many different ventilation options available today. There is no single ventilation system that will work for every situation because each calf barn is unique in its structure and layout.

The goal of a properly designed ventilation system should be to provide clean, fresh air at all times for healthy calf development. Ventilation is responsible for removing accumulated heat, moisture, air borne pathogens and noxious gases from the animal’s environment. These factors support the rationale behind ventilating year round, as moisture, pathogens and gases are constantly being released and a buildup of these factors leads to respiratory stress in calves.

Can Calf Barns Really Have Too Much Fresh Air In The Winter?

Click here to view as a pdf: Can Calf Barns Really Have Too Much Fresh Air In The Winter

By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.

Cold temperatures are here and winter is quickly approaching. As the temperatures drop, calf barns are closed up and the ventilation rates are turned down. As an industry we do this reflexively, but is it what’s best for the calves?

Studies show that pre-weaned calves raised in hutches have lower pneumonia rates when compared to calves raised in barns. Even calves raised in calf barns equipped with modern ventilation systems can experience increased respiratory disease rates when compared to their hutch-raised counterparts.

Give Your Beef Calves A Strong Start

Click here to view as a pdf: Give Your Beef Calves A Strong Start

By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

The stress caused by weaning decreases a calf’s immune function and makes them more vulnerable to disease. For many years it has been common practice to give medicated feeds, pellets, or additives around the time of weaning to decrease the incidence of disease. Treating with these medicated feeds can be expensive, counterproductive to rumen function, and now requires a veterinary prescription due to the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). Crystal Creek® formulates products that have natural ingredients proven to support calves during the stress of weaning and do not require the need for a VFD. Crystal Pellets^™ and Heifer Pride^™ are two products that can help give your beef calves a strong start.

Pre-Engineered Tube Ventilation Systems

Click here to view as a pdf: Pre-Engineered Tube Ventilation Systems

By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.

What are the benefits of a pre-engineered positive pressure tube system?

Crystal Creek® is now handling pre-engineered tube systems. These duct systems have reduced set up and production time, lower material waste and use bulk shipments for lower freight costs; making the ducts less expensive when compared to a customized duct. Pre-engineered duct systems do not require a ventilation designer to engineer the system, further reducing costs.

Hygiene Protocols For Successful Calf Raising

Click here to view as a pdf: Hygiene Protocols For Successful Calf Raising

By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

Every calf raiser knows that keeping calves healthy is neither simple nor easy. When a calf’s exposure to pathogens “outweighs” its immune resources, the results are clinical illness. One of the keys to keeping calves healthy is reducing disease causing pathogens at their source using proper hygiene procedures.

Providing A Clean Environment=Healthier Calves And Increased Profit

Click here to view as a pdf: Providing A Clean Environment Equals Healthier Calves

By Lorrie Meister, CVT
Livestock Specialist

A clean environment is essential to successful calf raising. Housing, air quality and cleanliness of the surfaces the calf comes into contact with (hutches, panels, bottles, pails, feeders, etc.) all play a role in raising a healthy, robust animal. Many producers fall into habits of using certain products, or practices, to clean and disinfect surfaces because they have never considered, or have not taken the time to look for a better alternative.

For many years, bleach has been the most commonly used disinfectant on livestock operations. While bleach is effective in some ways, it has several major downfalls. Cryptosporidium and giardia are two common pathogens that bleach will not control. A common misconception when cleaning facilities is if it looks clean, it is clean. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Studies of bacterial loads in dairy farm environments have shown that only 10% of bacteria present is free floating. That leaves the remaining 90% of bacteria attached to surfaces or trapped in biofilms.¹ Biofilms are a group of microorganisms which stick to each other and adhere to a surface. This representation of bacterial distribution proves how important the steps of sanitation (past the removal of gross debris) are in our cleaning protocols. Finding a disinfecting agent that can provide a broad spectrum of protection for your animals can be a challenge. Some agents work well in certain settings but not others. New studies have shown that chlorine dioxide is the best choice for on-farm sanitizing applications.

Post-Weaned Calf Management

Click here to read or download this article from our April Newsletter.