How much straw is enough? Do the knee test!

Calves need to lie dry. This seems like an easy goal, but in practice it still sometimes goes wrong. Calves lying wet or damp have a higher risk of respiratory ­problems and diarrhoea.

So make sure there is enough dry and clean straw in the single and group housing. Lieke Janssen, young animal ­specialist at Agrifirm, has a good rule for this: ‘fall on your knees in the straw. If your knees and legs are dry, there is enough straw in there.’

Lieke also advises ‘so much straw that you can no longer see the calf’s legs, that may seem a bit exaggerated, but the statement is clear: don’t cut back on straw!’