Pre-weaned Calf Rearing Options for Organic Dairy Systems
Project Director
Brad Heins
Year Funded
2020
Award Number
2020-51300-32177
Funded Institution
University of Minnesota
Grant Program
OREI (Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative)
USDA NIFA Report (alternate)
Project Overview
University research station trials were conducted to identify the best calf housing methods for organic dairy calf health and welfare. Five replicated trials were conducted over three fall and two spring calving seasons (total 345 calves) to compare individual (I), paired (P), or group (G) housing and pasturing with their dams (D). Calves in treatments I, P, and G were separated from their dams from 3 days to weaning age (63 days) and fed 10 liters of milk/day. Treatment D calves were pastured in a cow-calf group and nursed ad libitum (D).
Farmer Takeaways
(1) Different calf housing systems entail advantages and tradeoffs.
(2) Allowing dairy calves to remain with their dams for at least three days after birth may improve calf health and reduce health care costs.
(3) Calves pasture-raised with their dams until weaning gained more weight than calves raised separated from dams and raised in pens; however, they also exhibited more difficult behavior during milking in their first lactation.
(4) Housing calves in group pens may lead to more respiratory illness than housing individually or in pairs, or pasturing in cow-calf groups.