1997 Annual Report for FW97-012
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 1997: $3,248.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/1999
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $18,040.00
Region: Western
State: California
Principal Investigator:
Individual Confinement Rearing vs. Pasture-Based Group Rearing of Dairy Calves
Summary
This project's goal is to assess pasture-based group rearing of unweaned dairy calves. Traditional U.S. calf-rearing methods are demanding of labor, capital and equipment. New Zealanders have successfully mob-reared calves on pasture for a long time, but the practice has not been widely adopted here. If successful here on irrigated pasture, this style of calf rearing may present new opportunities to improve pasture utilization and animal performance, health and wellbeing while reducing costs, waste management problems and labor.