Calf Health, Performance, and Experimental Results Under a Commercial-Research Facility and Program

A salmonella outbreak in the calf research unit at the Purina Research Farm increased mortality during the 1st mo of life from a previous average of 1% to 10% during 1973 and 1974. Sporadic scouring and decreased weight gain also resulted while calves were on milk replacer or whole milk diets. Three of 37 calves were infected by salmonella at 3 days of age while 28 of 30 calves had become infected by 10 days of age. Remodeling of the calf starting unit during the summer of 1974 coupled with a comprehensive sanitation and management program resulted in cessation of salmonellosis and subsequently reduction in death loss to 1 of 308 calves raised in the unit through July, 1976. Variation in gain in weight and height during the pre-weaned period resulted in an average coefficient of variation of 30% for 22 experiments prior to the salmonella outbreak. Twenty-four similar experiments from the literature had average coefficients of variation of 62% for weight gain and 90% for calf starter intake. Four recent experiments at the Purina Research Farm are reviewed in relationship to their experimental variation. The conventional calf management and feeding program and the remodeled calf starting unit at Gray Summit are described.