MINER MATTERS - WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND MINER INSTITUTE
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Miner Gratitude
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Miner Gratitude
  • Contact
Search

New Barn for our Young Calves

6/3/2021

0 Comments

 
PictureCalf Manager Bethann Buskey and one of her girls from the hill pose on the construction site for the new calf barn. (May 24.2021)
As the calf manager here at Miner for the past 17 years, I am so pleased to see the new calf barn get started. (Construction officially began in early May). We have had a great success raising our own heifers out of hutches. During that time, we have had some struggles, but this new barn will affect our calves now and project into the future. 
This barn will be a benefit to the calves and to staff. This calf raising facility will be able to maintain a stable environment for such things as: 
  • RAIN - No wet conditions for calves or feeders; less wet bedding; no wet grain; and no wet clothes. This will also decrease the need for an abundance of supplies. 
  • SNOW - The snow will stay outside allowing feeders and the calves to get around more freely. This will also allow staff more time spent on calves rather than shoveling snow out of the hutches. 
  • SUN - The heat has a negative impact on calf health. During the hottest parts of the summer, calves undergo a lot of stress. Their intakes decrease for grain and milk, which affects their average daily gains (A.D.G.).
  • WIND - The temperature can range from 5 to 10 degrees colder with a wind chill. With new air systems, benefits like plenty of air exchange, less chances of pneumonia and less need for treatments arise. 
  • HANDLING - The new barn will allow us to have an easier method of handling our calves. Administering vaccines can become more difficult as the calf gets older and larger. The barn will provide an ideal way for staff to administer treatment to animals that is much safer for staff and the animals, with far less likelihood that someone gets hurt.  The facility allows us to attempt to use a buddy system, improving our calves' social skills at a younger age. In the future, there will be lower stress levels on a calf when moving it into larger groups. 
Therefore, my hopes are that our calves will be healthier, happier, and increase their A.D.G. Looking into the future, this will improve our overall herd health and the environment for staff. 

THANK YOU to all involved in the barn construction process!
Bethann Buskey
Alexis Seymour
Andrew Guerin

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Bakeoff
    Dairy
    Equine
    Miner Institute
    Miner Morgans
    Miner Staff
    Recipes

    RSS Feed

Picture
The William H Miner Agricultural Research Institute
1034 Miner Farm Rd. Chazy, NY 12921
www.whminer.org
518-846-7121

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Miner Gratitude
  • Contact