Health care metrics and health care policies during the preweaned period on calf ranches

Health care metrics of morbidity and mortality as well as health care policies related to antimicrobial use and biosecurity and biocontainment provide a means to evaluate operations rearing preweaned dairy calves. In general, studies of the aforementioned health care parameters for calf ranches are rare, compared with those for US dairy operations. The aim of this study was to characterize calf ranches with respect to health care metrics and health care policies during the preweaning period, and where possible, compare our findings with reports from dairy operations.
American Association of Bovine Practitioners Proceedings of the Annual Conference, 2012