Calves can feel less comfortable in high temperatures. Especially when accompanied by high humidity. Humidity in the air is a major contributor to heat stress. A calf can experience considerable heat stress at 22 degrees Celsius and humidity of 70 percent or more.

Young calves have a tremendous potential to grow – provided that they are healthy, they are housed properly and they receive the best possible feed. During the first six months of a breeding calf’s life, it can be expected to grow an average of 900 to 1000 grams per day.

Calves that are fed and housed well can grow by as much as 1,000 grams per day during the milk feeding period. It is not just the cattle farmer’s awareness and efforts that play a major role, so do the right housing and approach.

The calf-rearing period, between 0 and 4 months, demands more labour than any other time.

Hand-feeding a calf is labour-intensive. You have to mix water and milk powder, lift buckets and then fill the teat buckets several times a day. An automatic milk feeder can save you a lot of work.

Thorough calf rearing is essential for good performance as a dairy cow. With a high feeding regime and an all-in, all-out housing in small, fixed groups, calves perform best. For example, research by Dairy Campus/WUR with 224 breeding calves in four different rounds. CalfOTel®'s outdoor housing in group hutches came out well in this investigation. The calves grew significantly faster and less antibiotics were needed. All-in, all-out with small, fixed groups seem to be an important key to success.

Cows are herd animals and feel comfortable in company. Yet in practice, calves are often 'isolated' in the first weeks of life to keep them healthy and prevent infections. Duo housing is currently on the rise: keeping and rearing calves in pairs. The advantages are crystal clear; better for animal welfare, it is more sustainable and better for vitality and feed intake. Knowing that it costs about € 2,000 for a cow to milk, a higher feed intake is pure profit. Dairy farmers are enthusiastic about duo housing. That is why the specialists at CalfOTel® have developed the XL-2 this fall. A large and comfortable housing for two calves.

More and more farms today are choosing indoor housing for young calves. It is comfortable for both calf and caregiver. At least, if the barn is set up properly. How do you ensure the ideal barn climate and adequate ventilation?