The other extreme is rearing calves in large, open-plan buildings with high roofs, easy to access with farm equipment. Unfortunately, in our climate these buildings often subject calves to massive temperature swings — easily a 12°C drop between day and night.
I've experienced both styles of building and tried to adapt each to find the best conditions for healthy calves. The biggest problems are always the same: how to keep calves at a comfortable, regular body temperature without restricting airflow or increasing humidity, and how to get enough milk and feed into them to keep them growing in cold weather without causing scours.
"I recently read articles on calf rearing abroad and couldn't believe how many farms used calf jackets as a matter of routine — to improve conversion of energy to growth, reduce feed costs, and cut the risk of pneumonia and scours from chills."
Having attended a number of veterinary courses on calf rearing, it became clear that many of today's breeds — and the time of year we calve our cows — mean calves really struggle, firstly with cold temperatures, and secondly with dramatic swings from day to night, especially in their first four weeks of life.
That's why Cosy Calf exists: practical, breathable jackets designed and tested on a working Dorset farm, not dreamed up in a boardroom.