Introduction
Some people say “don’t sweat the little things”. But when it comes to calves, the little things can mean big differences in calf health and performance. A case in point is a study conducted at Utah State University and reported in December, 2006. In this study, 72 calves were housed in individual plastic hutches for 60 days and offered starter and water in individual buckets. The water bucket was cleaned either daily, weekly (every 7 days) or every 14 days. Buckets were dumped and rinsed (not washed with soap and water), so labor efficiency was maximized.
This study can be criticized for small numbers (72 calves) and lack of statistical evaluation. However, the results do appear to have an important economic value, particularly in light of the limited input costs required to achieve the additional gain.
In addition to increased growth in calves whose water buckets were changed daily, the authors of the study also reported that these calves were treated less frequently than calves whose buckets were changed only every 14 days.
Simple things can make a real difference in calf management!
Reference
Wiedmeier, R.D., A.J. Young and P.R. Schmidt. 2006. Watch the drinking water quality of calves reared in individual hutches. AG/Dairy/2006-01pr. http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/AG_Dairy_2006-01pr.pdf.