Calves with Sam

Good Communication = Quality Calf Care

Reliable person-to-person communication is essential for quality calf care.

If #782 only drank ½ her milk this afternoon she needs to be watched tomorrow morning. If it was just a onetime event, fine. If she does not finish her milk two feedings in a row I need to work with her to find out what is going wrong. HOWEVER, if I do only afternoon feeding and another person does morning feedings is #782’s abnormal behavior being passed between us?

All three of the pictures below show efforts to get key information from one caregiver to another.

Below, the afternoon feeder observed slow drinking and placed a yellow “warning” tag on the hutch. The morning feeder will know to give extra attention to this calf’s drinking speed and amount consumed.

The list of the dry-erase board in the picture below tells the afternoon feeder about problem drinkers – providing more information than just a yellow clip.

In the picture below note two white clips. This calf has not finished her milk for two feedings in a row – extra care is needed.

 

If you have a favorite tip of this nature, send me a picture at 585-356-0769 so I can post a collection of them.