Newborn dairy calf management

Abstract

Despite advances in dairy herd health and productivity, perinatal calf mortality rates are still unacceptably high on many dairy farms. The key features of successful newborn dairy calf management are ensuring heifers and cows are moved in time to calve in suitable maternity housing, discreet calving supervision and appropriate timing of any necessary calving assistance, immediate parturient evaluation of at-risk newborn calves followed by aggressive resuscitation, strategic navel antisepsis, early detection (and treatment) of perinatal problems, and prompt movement of the newborn calf to hygienic calf housing. Veterinarian-led producer implementation of active management of calving and newborn calf care can improve perinatal welfare and health.