Industry collaboration improves calf health

Healthy Calf Conference marks 20 years of better calf management

Two decades ago, the North American calf industry realized it had a problem. Various research studies were showing that calf health wasn’t going in the right direction and producers were increasingly frustrated with their experiences in the barn. It was time to make a change and improve the health of calves entering the veal sector.

Ontario decided to start bringing together experts and launched the Healthy Calf Conference, which is marking its 20^th anniversary this year. Led by Veal Farmers of Ontario (VFO), the calfcare.ca website and popular Calf Care Corner e-newsletter were developed, and the reach extended even further with the addition of social media channels to help connect the industry and share information.

“Today, the improvements in calf health have been considerable, thanks to the industry coming together to focus on making positive change,” says Kendra Keels, Industry Development Director at VFO. “For two decades, we’ve brought together dairy, veal and dairy-beef calf raisers to a single event dedicated to boosting calf health – which in turn means healthier animals, lower production costs and higher market prices.”

Calves entering the veal sector were stressed by inadequate colostrum management, commingling and transportation, which led to high mortality and poor health. Over the years, however, producers have noted the change in calf quality, Keels adds. Awareness around better colostrum management has resulted in dramatic improvement of serum total protein levels as well as a significant drop in mortality.

“We appreciate the many producers, industry partners, researchers, government representatives and others who’ve joined us on the journey to healthier calves over the last 20 years whether it’s been by attending, presenting or sponsoring the event or otherwise supporting education efforts,” she notes. “The entire industry is to be congratulated on its ongoing commitment to encouraging positive change and taking action to raise the bar on healthy calf management.”

Information you can use, right now

Attendance at the conference has grown steadily over the years and it’s become the leading education event for those raising calves. Much of that success can be attributed to its focus on delivering practical information grounded in science that will make a difference in the barn and can be implemented right away.

This year’s event, scheduled for November 20 as both an in-person and online event, will be no different. Every participant will have access to dynamic speakers, an online portal of presentation recordings and calf care resources, exclusive bonus talks available only online and a free calf manual for those attending in-person.

As well, in-person participants will enjoy a trade show and hot lunch, receive a free calf pail, sponsored in part by Farmers Depot, and have the chance to win a refractometer.

Program highlights include European expert on reducing antimicrobial use

Dr. Bart Pardon from Ghent University in Belgium will be the keynote speaker, sharing highlights from his research into pre-conditioning and early disease detection to reduce antimicrobial use.

Dr. Cynthia Miltenburg from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness will provide an overview of current disease pressures facing the industry, and University of Guelph professor Dr. Charlotte Winder will be addressing pain management for calves. As well, Dr. Mike Nagroske from Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd., will provide a bonus presentation that will be available exclusively online for conference participants.  

New this year is a session featuring student researchers from the University of Guelph. Three graduate students will present highlights from their research work, including colostrum feeding, calf nutrition and physiology during transport, and when and how to treat calves with diarrhea.

How to join us at Ontario’s premier calf care event

This year’s Healthy Calf Conference will be held Wednesday, November 20 at the Arden Park Hotel in Stratford, as well as online via Zoom, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration fees are $100 per person for producers and $130 per person for industry partners for in-person participation and $75 for online attendance.

Visit https://hcc2024.eventbrite.ca to register; deadline for signing up for in-person is November 6 and online is November 18.

Special thank you to Healthy Calf Conference title sponsors Grober Nutrition and Mapleview Agri and to Diamond V, Agri-Plastics, DairyPlus by Farmtario, Endovac, Saskatoon Colostrum Company, Serval, Farmers Depot, Arbourdale, Solvet, DairyTrace and Grand Valley Fortifiers for providing additional sponsorship. Appreciation also goes to event supporters Beef Farmers of Ontario and Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

“We look forward to welcoming you to the 20^th anniversary edition of the Healthy Calf Conference, which we believe will be the best one yet,” says Keels.

For more information, visit calfcare.ca, send an email to events@vealfarmers.ca.