Competition for feed and group status results in stress. Exposure to infections from larger animals during this time often precipitates disease. Healthy calves introduced into undesirable conditions after being raised in the semi-isolation of a calf hutch may contract pneumonia, and some may die. Surviving calves often don't do well. However, the greatest loss is that the animals never will produce up to their genetic potential.
Chronic disease can severely limit genetic capability.
The super calf hutch has been developed specifically to provide housing for the calf after eight weeks of age. It also prevents exposure to more mature animals maintained under a variety of conditions. The capacity of this unit is eight calves to an age of about five months. In this structure the animals are exposed only to each other. Thus, it allows a small number of calves to be acclimated to group housing and they experience less stress as a result.