Hoard's Dairyman Plan Service,28 Milwaukee Avenue West, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538. Various complete-package facilities are also available from commercial builders. In Indiana, this can be done satisfactorily 8 or 9 months out of the year. The outdoor system calls for at least 500 square feet of space per calf plus an area of shade and wind protection. A fence-line feeding area is very convenient.
Dairymen raising their calves outdoors usually use a nurse cow system.
But this requires special attention to make sure the cow accepts the new calf and that the calf nurses regularly. Once the calf starts nursing, the labor requirement of raising it is greatly reduced. A good operator can make almost any system work, while a poor operator can make a good system fail. You should properly assess your personal likes and match the system to your management preference and skills. If hired labor is involved, their likes and dislikes must also be taken into account.