Raising healthy, high-growth calves that perform well in the next stage of life is the goal of nearly every calf producer.

It takes hard work and considerable investment to create a newborn calf. So, when that calf hits the ground, we want to do everything we can to give it the best possible start to a healthy and productive life.

When it comes to raising baby calves, there are some core fundamentals that absolutely need to happen in their first week after birth to ensure a healthy, productive lifetime.

For many years, colostrum delivery within the first 24 hours of life – and the sooner, the better – has been emphasized. That’s because we know that calves have a finite opportunity to absorb critical immunity-boosting antibodies – particularly immunoglobulin-G.