Calving Benchmarks
Calf Housing
Newborn Calves
Growth
Why it Matters
Record Clues
100
This score measures calving difficulty (1=easy to 5=extreme)
What is Calving Ease Score?
100
Minimum square footage of bedded resting area for a preweaned calf?
What is 35 square feet?
100
This first milk provides antibodies that protect calves from disease.
What is Colostrum?
100
Important milestone around 2 months of age
What is weaning?
100
Using this growth metric of ~2.0 pounds per day sets calf up for future growth and milk production
What is Average Daily Gain?
100
Organization collecting herd production data
What is DHIA?
200
The term used to describe a calf born dead or dies within 24 hours
What is a stillbirth?
200
Provide this to reduce respiratory issues in both cold and warm weather.
What is adequate ventilation?
200
Calves should receive colostrum within this many hours after birth for best immunity.
What is 2-4 hours?
200
Benchmark of 1.8 - 2.2 pounds daily to determine this in Holstein calves.
What is Average Daily Gain? (ADG)
200
Name 2 factors that would cause pneumonia rates to be high?
What is health, ventilation, immunity, environment?
200
Percent of calves in the herd that are less than 3 months of age?
What is 14%
300
Term used to describe percent of calves surviving beyond 48 hours
What is calf livability? (97%)
300
This should be offered to calves and heifers daily
What is fresh, clean water?
300
Key immunity protein in colostrum
What is IgG? or Immunoglobulin
300
Ideal age at first calving
What is 22-24 months?
300
Hygiene and colostrum management can either increase or decrease the incidence of this common disease in calves.
What is scours?
300
Identify top 3 reasons (in order) heifer calves leave the farm on a yearly basis?
What is sold for other reasons, respiratory problems, and sold for reproductive problems?
400
Name 3 items that should be recorded after a cow has calved?
Date/Time calf was born
Calving difficulty score
time when first colostrum was fed
Initial who processed the calf
400
Calves and heifers start to experience heat stress in this temperature humid index (THI) range.
What is THI between 65-75 degrees F?
400
Term used to describe calves not receiving or absorbing enough antibodies
What is failure of passive transfer?
400
Appropriate age and/or bodyweight to begin breeding heifers
What is 55-58% of mature body weight and 13-15 months of age?
400
An overall completion rate of 70-85% tells us what about the herd?
What is overall system success?
400
Is 13 months average age at 1st breeding acceptable or unacceptable?
What is acceptable range for 1st breeding heifers?
500
1st Feeding Colostrum Brix % reading benchmark
What is greater than 24%?
500
Check surfaces for cleanliness using this tool.
What is an ATP meter?\
500
Name this tool to test colostrum quality.
What is Brix Refractometer?
500
Identify the 2 goals for "calving weight".
(Meaning, what is the percent mature bodyweight)
What is:
Day before calving - 95% of mature bodyweight
Day after calving - 85% of mature bodyweight
500
Single most management factor for calf health and survival?
What is colostrum management?
500
From this birthing summary, what indicator would raise a red flag?
What is stillborn death loss rate? (goal is less than 2.5%), this herd shows closer to 5% stillborn death loss rate.