The Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program recently published the first volume of its Animal Care Reference Manual. This manual assists farmers and ranchers who raise different breeds of male and female calves intended for dairy and/or beef production systems, encouraging calf raisers to approach management decisions with thoughtfulness and an appreciation for the responsibility they have to their animals, consumers and the broader cattle industries in the U.S. 

“The Animal Care Reference Manual is a fantastic resource which highlights best management practices and recognizes the good work that calf raisers implement across the country,” said Beverly Hampton Phifer, stakeholder relations manager for the FARM Program. “This inaugural CCQA resource deliverable was designed to help calf raisers continually improve animal care outcomes on the farm while providing assurances for the supply chain.”

In addition to the manual, the CCQA program also offers resources specific to the needs of calf raisers such as protocol templates and animal observation scoring reference guides. Online and in-person opportunities for individuals looking to be CCQA-certified, as well as a facility self-assessment, will be available later this fall.

The CCQA program is jointly led by the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, managed by the National Milk Producer’s Federation (NMPF) and NCBA’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, funded by The Beef Checkoff. Support is also provided by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, and The Beef Checkoff-funded Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program.