Condition of calves on arrival at dairy-beef calf-raising farms in the Midwestern US
Elizabeth M. Schafer·Jessica A. Mitchell·Megan M. Woodrum Setser·Madison P. Pinkerton·Kate Creutzinger·Marisa A. Erasmus·Greg G. Habing·K. D. Vogel
In the US, non-replacement calves born on dairies are often sold in the first days of life, and experience multiple transport events that increase their risk of disease as they enter the dairy-beef sector. The objectives of this cross-sectional cohort study were to evaluate the condition of dairy-beef calves on arrival at calf-raising farms in the Midwestern US and to identify factors associated with poor health outcomes. From February 2024 to January 2025, 1,436 calves (approximately 3-7 d of a