When Nick Zubke started his job in maintenance at Strauss Feeds in 2013, it was a homecoming of sorts. “I’m from Watertown and live in the  house where I grew up, which is about 2 miles from the Strauss plant,” he shared. “The plant has been a part of our ‘neighborhood’ for my entire life.”

Automated calf feeders have now been commercially available in the United States for roughly two decades. By design, autofeeders can be an excellent tool, as they allow calf-feeding patterns that most closely mimic those of a nursing calf in nature (Mother Nature’s way).

Waste milk – a “free” source of acceptable calf nutrition. Or is it?Technically, waste milk is not “free,” because there still is a cost to produce it. It is only perceived as free because there is nothing else a dairy can do with it.

We do more than sell milk replacer. We partner with our customers to deliver both high-quality products and services that add value to those products and maximize their influence on calf performance.

Starting as a laboratory technician, it was only a matter of months before Mariah’s organizational skills, attention to detail, and conscientious work habits earned her a promotion to Laboratory Supervisor. She now oversees two other employees and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the lab.

It seems there are as many potential additives to calf diets as there are corn kernels in a bushel. But which ones really work, and are truly worth the investment?

An industry stalwart who values nutrition, calves, and people – in no particular order – is the defining moniker of Dan Catherman, President of Strauss Feeds.

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.

There is a common misconception that the only way to achieve group housing of preweaned calves is to invest in a high cost autofeeder system. While autofeeder barns can work very well, I have experienced first-hand that you can also raise healthy, well-grown calves in group pens using bottles.

In the mission to raise healthy, productive, well-grown dairy calves, the rumen is the central command center that determines whether calves are ready to launch successfully through weaning.

It’s the beginning of a new chapter – and the departure of an industry icon – with the retirement of Strauss Feeds Technical Director Dale Bakke. 

Overheating in the summertime doesn’t just happen to calves and their caretakers. It can be a problem for calf milk replacer, too.

The use of beef semen on dairy cows has changed the playing field and redefined the meaning of “dairy beef.” Historically, purebred dairy calves that were sold into the beef production system had relatively low value and weren’t always given top-tier treatment at their dairies of origin.

Reliability you can count on: Strauss Feeds milk replacer offers consistent formulation, accurate labeling, and precise weight in every bag, ensuring your livestock receives the same quality nutrition, every time.

Calves supply the most modern genetics to the herd, and we know that caring for them well in their early life pays productivity dividends in their adult phase. But capturing that potential requires that we feed them well.

If you could manage flies in your calf housing area continuously, with no harmful chemicals, and for less than a penny per calf per day, would you do it?

Actually, it is possible to do just that by adding ClariFly® Larvicide to your calf milk replacer.

The use of antibiotics in rearing preweaned calves has changed considerably in recent decades. Many operations are relying less on antibiotics today to keep their calves healthy. Some of that reduction has been due to regulation, and some by intentional management strategy.

Calves are creatures of habit. They crave physical comfort, companionship, and, of course, their milk ration.

One of the best things we can do as calf raisers is to deliver those elements consistently.

Raising calves is a serious business – one that has become increasingly precise in terms of nutrition, business operations, and health and management protocols. Refractometers provide on-farm precision for a number of management protocols that support calf health and performance.

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.