The Dairy Podcast Show - #40 - Beyond the Barn: Understanding Calf Housing Systems

Housing systems for calves have a crucial impact on their well-being and health. Designed to create an ideal environment that promotes comfortable development, constant advancements have been made in these housing systems to prioritize calf welfare and maximize their growth potential. By providing a nurturing and controlled environment, these systems facilitate  development of healthy and productive calves. In this episode, Dr. Brad Heins shares his knowledge and work on calf housing systems while comparing calves that were housed and raised individually, in pairs, and in groups with calves raised alongside cows in a dairy herd. 

What you'll learn: 

1. UMN Research Center

2. Calf housing

3. Calf raising scenarios and cross-suckling

4. Managing calves that stay with the cows

5. The disbudding of calves

6. Agrivoltaic systems in combination with grazing dairy production

Meet the guest:

Dr. Brad Heins

Experience

      ○ Current: Professor at the University of Minnesota

      ○ Past: Dairy Farmer; Marketing and PR for World Wide Sires in California.

Background

       ○ Ph.D., Dairy Cattle Genetics (University of Minnesota)

       ○ M.Sc., Dairy Cattle Genetics (University of Minnesota)

       ○ B.Sc., Animal and Plant Systems (University of Minnesota)

Hobby: buying dairy heifers for showing and golfing.

Favorite book, movie or TV series: My favorite TV Series is The Office,  my favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, and my favorite books are Elmer Dawdy and the Tidy Burkes (recently read).

 A tip for success: work hard, play hard

Connect with our guest on Social Media: LinkedIn; Instagram