Section 1 | Selecting the Right Calf

Ontario Veal Industry
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How to Select the Right Calf

Much of the disease that occurs at veal farms develops within the first few weeks after calves arrive at the facility. We can decrease some of the disease being introduced into veal facilities by only choosing healthy calves. There are several things that can be evaluated when purchasing calves that can help reduce the level of disease and in turn, antimicrobial use (AMU) at your facility. They are:

  1. Body Weight Arrival
  2. Evaluating Dehydration
  3. Identifying Umbilical Infections: Heat, swelling, and pain
  4. Presence of Other Abnormalities
  5. Developing Relationships with Reputable Source Farms

This video developed based on Ontario research of calves entering into an Ontario veal facility outlines how dairy and veal producers can work together to select only healthy calves for shipment to improve calf health and welfare:

Next Page | Section 1 | Body Weight at Arrival