AGRI-PLASTICS

CALF BUDDY
SYSTEM GUIDE

FREE DOWNLOAD
BEGIN STRONG.
STAY STRONG.
The VanBuurens know first-hand the challenges involved in raising healthy
dairy calves. As third-generation dairymen, they began experimenting
with hutch designs to provide a healthier, more comfortable environment
for calves while improving efficiencies for their business. In 1995, they
founded Agri-Plastics to provide local dairy farmers with a better option
for housing and caring for the next generation of milkers.

Over the years, Agri-Plastics listened and learned as other producers

talked about their own calf housing challenges. And they responded with
game-changing innovations that have since become industry standards.

Today, Agri-Plastics hutches are prized the world over for their unique
durability, efficiency and ease of use. But at the heart of it all is a family
true to its roots, delivering proven calf housing systems for dairy farmers,
by dairy farmers.

We understand the value of your calves, and we’re dedicated to helping

you shelter your investment.

DARREN AND ROB VANBUUREN

Agri-Plastics Manufacturing

www.calfhutch.com
THE BUDDY
SYSTEM
What is the Buddy System?
The Buddy System is a style of raising dairy heifer calves in a hutch or pen
in a pair, so in groups of two calves.

How does the Buddy System work?

After the calves are born in the maternity barn/unit of the dairy farm, they
are placed in a freshly prepared starter pen. This ensures that they have a
clean and safe place for the first or second days of their lives. It’s the
perfect place to keep a close eye on these new-born calves. It's also very
easy to feed these calves their first few meals, ensuring they get three
servings of colostrum. The Starter Pen system also allows farmers train
calves on the feeding system you want to use. Starter Pen

After one to two days in the starter pen, you then take two calves, that
were preferably less than 24 hours born apart from each other, and house
them together in a hutch or pen, that provides enough space so they can
stay in this hutch for the next couple weeks. These two calves now build a
team of buddies that live and grow together.

EXL Hutch

Buddy Hutch NEW! Dual XL

After six weeks, you move two or three Buddy teams together into a
bigger pen or hutch to create a group of four to six calves.
Ultra Flex Pen
www.calfhutch.com
 BUDDY
SYSTEM
BENEFITS
Raising calves with the Buddy System has many benefits. First of all
it’s important to mention the social aspect. Calves that were not
isolated in their early lives show more social and less aggressive
behaviour later in life. This is important when calves are put in groups
in the calf barn and also as dairy cows in freestall barns. A more
social group of dairy cows not only reduces injuries, but also reduces
the stress levels of the herd drastically and therefore increases the
milk yield of each cow.

Researchers found that the food intake of calves that are raised in
pairs was higher than the feed intake of individually raised calves.
This does not only increase the daily weight gain and enhances the
rumen development, but also possibly reduces the weaning period. A
calf should be weaned not after a certain number of days of life but
according to their concentrate intake. Every calf that eats 1.5kg of
concentrate per day can be weaned. The earlier in life you reach that
mark, the earlier you can wean your calves and thus shorten this very
labour and cost intensive period.

At the Schleis Farm LLC we pair our Fleckvieh calves in our new calf barn. The calves are paired when
they are 4 weeks old by removing the side panel between the FlexPens. Since we are pairing them,
we have seen an increase in grain consumption and it is overall easier on them to go through the
transition from milk to weaned. The Flap Duct tubes over each row of pens offer great air quality in
the barn and our calves are healthy and thriving.
Tasha Schleis, Owner of Schleis Farm, WI, USA
www.calfhutch.com
WHAT ARE
THE RISKS?
Are there risks to housing calves in the Buddy System?
Many farmers report that pre-weaned calves that are not physically
separated from each other will start cross-sucking. Cross-sucking is a
stereotypy, an atypical repetitive behaviour, that is originated by the lack
of satisfaction that most feeding systems provide for the calves. Calves
naturally have a very strong urge to suckle, since they need to nurse from
their mothers to survive. Feeding milk from buckets or with fast feeding
teats from teat buckets or bottles does not satisfy this natural urge and
leads to the stereotypy. Separating the calves only treats the symptom
and does not eliminate the source of the problem.

Feeding calves milk from a slow feeding teat,

which encourages them to use positive and
negative pressure while nursing, will satisfy
their nursing instinct and therefore also
eliminate the cross-sucking behaviour. Thus, we
highly advise to use a slow-feeding system all
the time, but especially when housing calves
not individually.
BUDDY SYSTEM
PRODUCTS
What are the best products to implement the Buddy System?
To implement the Buddy System on your farm, you will need a hutch that is big enough to house
two calves over the course of a couple weeks.

o or
u td
O Agri-Plastics Buddy Hutch

Benefits of paired housing include reduced weaning distress, faster weight gain, promotion of
solid feed intake, increased socialization, and minimized cross-suckling. In this new Buddy Hutch
Calf-Rearing System, calves can be housed together or separate, based on the needs and
preference of the producer. The center panel can be removed quickly and easily, and a multi-
position awning system provides shade and protection from the elements. Also, an optional
Weather Cover Extension telescopes out and covers the entire door opening for the ultimate
weather protection.
Features include:
Multi-Position Awning with Optional Weather Cover
Bi-Swing Doors and secure Slam Latch
Removable Interior Center Fence Panel
Truly Opaque
Swing-Up Rear Door
Rear Grid Guard
One-piece Construction
Ridge and Rear Rotary Ventilation
Optional Side Door Hay Feeder

www.calfhutch.com
BUDDY SYSTEM
PRODUCTS
Double Duty Housing for Paired Calves
Available in Deluxe or Rancher Options
• For Paired Calves up to 8 weeks

o or
u td
O Agri-Plastics NEW Dual XL

Life is a balancing act. We in the Dairy Industry have to be mindful of our marketplace. Many
purchasers of our milk products prefer calves to be raised and prosper in an enhanced
environment. Agri-Plastics has taken the lead in producing such a housing system. We have
balanced cost-effectiveness and growth efficiency using a companionship platform.
The “NEW” Dual XL hutch addresses the standards that govern us. The Dual XL Hutch boasts a
larger inside growing area to achieve this efficiency and comfort. Our new Dual XL Hutch
supplies the space that allows calves to commingle at a young age. Buddying two calves in one
hutch promotes companionship and competitiveness, which research has proven to help achieve
optimal growth. Efficient growth = positive ROI. Couple these benefits with one of the best
warranties in the industry and get a winning combination with the Dual XL Hutch.

For the Dual XL Rancher Hutch, choose from multiple fencing options (not included):
Grid Wire Fence with 2 Double Holders/Pail Kits,
Grid Wire Fence with 4 Single Holders/Pail Kits or 4 Quick Attach Pails
Dual XL Supreme Fence.

www.calfhutch.com
 o o r
Ind
Agri-Plastics Ultra Flex Pen System

If you rather raise your calves in a barn instead of a hutch, it is advisable to use the Agri-Plastics
Ultra Flex Pen System. The individual pens of this indoor system can be easily transformed into a two-
calf group pen by removing the separating panel between two pens and replacing it with a special
crossbar.

Ultra lightweight for easy setup and cleaning without jeopardizing durability

Single Front and Rear Panels
Self-aligning panels use EZ-Glide Connection Tabs and Hinges for easy and quick setup
Ultra bio-secure
Ultra  rear rotary venting has no steel wire to rust, fully-adjustable air flow control, and no
separate parts to lose or store Integrated sliding side panel vents for additional air control and
meets European regulations
Individual penning used to maximize pens per room size
Individual pens interlock together for a clean line of calf spaces
Center panels can be removed to create a group penning option for as many calves as desired
Ultra pen access with a bi-swing front door for maximum flexibility
Large ergonomically-designed door handle
Ultra tough, non-metal door frame made with a structural compression molding process
Ultra Flex-Pen panels available in a 5′, 6′, and 7′ lengths to fit any size barn operation and allows
for optimum calf space
Modular Freestanding penning means no post or install to floor (keep adding to it; no fasteners
to install on floor)Units can also be wall mounted using our optional wall mounting bracket Bottle
or Pail Milk Feeding Options dove-tailed with water and grain feed spaces
10-year Warranty – One of the best warranties in the business

www.calfhutch.com
 BUDDY SYSTEM
PRODUCTS

VENTILATION
As always when housing calves indoor we recommend making sure there is sufficient fresh air
for your calves. The positive pressure tubes of the Flap Duct system are a great solution for both
newly build and retrofitted barns and help distribute the fresh air directly to your calves to keep
them healthy in all seasons.

FEEDING
As described above it is very important to use a slow-feeding teat in the Buddy System and we
recommend the Milk Bar drinkers. The Milk Bar MB 2 is the perfect solution to feed two calves in the
same hutch.
www.calfhutch.com
FURTHER
READING
REFERENCES
Group Housing Preweaned Dairy Calves: Socialization versus Disease
Transmission
https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2147/2015/04/CalfHousinga
ndHealth2015-8-26.pdf 

Pair housing and enhanced milk allowance increase play behavior

and improve performance in dairy calves
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25682142/

Short communication: Pair housing dairy calves in modified calf

hutches https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29605333/

Pair housing makes calves more optimistic

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31882927/

WEBINAR
"The Buddy System", A webinar by Nele Schermeier, DVM and Noel
Kelly, International Sales Director Agri-Plastics
https://youtu.be/Qn1MjyXaXlQ
CONTACT
US
CANADA
7793 Young Street, Grassie, ON LOR1MO
T: +1-905-945-3116
E: paul@agri-plastics.net

USA
701 Elm Street, Sidney, Nebraska 69162
T: +1-308-254-1137
E: skip@agri-plastics.net

INTERNATIONAL
Creva Ltd., Church Street, Athenry,
Galway, Ireland
T: +353 91 844 071
M: +353 87 7792868
E: intsales@agri-plastics.net

Talk to a Specialist

www.calfhutch.com

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