 The
Calf and Heifer Research and Extension Unit is a University
of Minnesota and Ridley Inc. partnership focused on applied nutrition
and management research for replacement heifers from birth to 6 months
of age. The facility is located at the Southern
Research and Outreach Center (SROC) in Waseca, Minnesota, and includes two calf barns and a grower barn.
The calf barns are each 30 ft x 200 ft, with two 90 ft x 30 ft rooms with the capacity of 40 calves per room managed as an all-in-all-out system for a total of 160 individual pens for calves from 2 to 4 days up 8-10 weeks of age. In each calf barn, a central 20 ft x 30 ft area is used for liquid feed mixing, feed and medication storage.
The 65 ft x 150 ft grower barn, designed for 2 to 6 month old heifers, holds 120 head in 20 group pens; the latter compliments an existing barn that houses another 120 head in group pens. Other facilities are available for overflow calves and heifers as needed.
 The SROC is raising calves for three commercial dairies representing over 1700 dairy cows (Bombay Dairy, Kenyon; Wolf Creek Dairy, Dundas; and Clay View Dairy, Goodhue). The dairies retain ownership and calves are picked-up by SROC staff twice weekly at 2 to 4 days of age. Heifers move to second stage growers at 6 months of age as designated by the dairy owners. Heifers will be monitored when they return to their respective herds during their first lactation. The SROC facility currently raises over 800 heifers a year.
The partnership with Ridley Inc. was established to partially support applied research programs and the initial building infrastructure. There are always opportunities for collaborative applied research outside of the immediate partnership. For additional information, please contact Hugh Chester-Jones (telephone: 507-837-5618; email: chest001@umn.edu).
See more photos:
Heifer Raising Facilities
SROC Open House, September 2006
SROC Calf Workshop, April 2006
Construction Photos, March 2004
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