by dairycarrie
I’ve talked about how we care for calves in many posts, but I realized I haven’t given the quick and skinny on why farmers use calf hutches. It’s time I do that.
Calves in calf hutches as a thunderstorm rolls in.
Across the U.S. on farms both large and small, the vast majority of dairy calves live in a calf hutch for the first weeks of life. A calf hutch is an individual pen with a shelter and an outdoor area. It’s a common misconception that calf hutches are the same as veal crates, that’s not the case and you can read a little more about that HERE.
Why do farmers use calf hutches?
Housing calves in hutches allows calves with immature immune systems to receive individualized care during the most crucial part of their lives. With a calf living in an individual hutch we can see exactly how much milk and other feed they consume and we can see the consistency of their manure, both are an important indicator of health. A calf hutch is a comfortable place for calves to sleep and provides shelter from the elements.
Read more of Carrie’s blog at Dairy Carrie.
Carie and her husband are Wisconsin dairy farmers. They farm in partnership with his parents on a 100-cow, 300-acre farm. She called herself the crazy cow lady of the neighborhood. Read more about her here.