RAISING YOUNG DAIRY CALVES FOR REPLACEMENT STOCK OR FOR VEAL CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR THE PRODUCER. THIS IS DUE IN PART TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CALVES TO DISEASE. FOR EXAMPLE, 5.8% OF CALVES DIE DUE TO CAUSES UN-RELATED TO PREDATION WITH DAIRY OPERATIONS EXPERIENCING A HIGH RATE OF CALF MORTALITY DUE TO DIGESTIVE (30.6%) AND RESPIRATORY ISSUES (36.7%; USDA, APHIS 2011). THIS IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE EVERY CALF THAT DIES REPRESENTS LOST GENETIC POTENTIAL, LOST INCOME FOR THE PRODUCER AND REDUCED MEAT AND MILK PRODUCTION PER OPERATION. OVERALL, ISSUES WITH CALF HEALTH AND MORTALITY REDUCE OPERATION SUSTAINABILITY AND HINDER ADVANCEMENT TOWARDS GREATER FOOD SECURITY. IF WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES OF CALF MORTALITY, THEN RESEARCH CAN BE CONDUCTED TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES AND REDUCE ANIMAL LOSES. THEREFORE, UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF MATERNAL PROGRAMMING ON CALF HEALTH AND IMMUNITY WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO REDUCED CALF LOSSES, INCREASED OPERATION SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPROVED FOOD ANIMAL PRODUCTION. THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF HIGH MATERNAL MILK PRODUCTION AND MASTITIS INFECTION DURING PREGNANCY. SPECIFICALLY BLOOD WILL BE COLLECTED FROM CALVES OVER TIME AND BLOOD BIOMARKERS FOR INFLAMMATION AND OVERALL HEALTH WILL BE EVALUATED. THE METABOLLIC STATUS OF THE CALVES WILL ALSO BE EVALUATED. TISSUE SAMPLES WILL ALSO BE UTILIZED. THE DATA YEILDED FROM THESE ANALYSES WILL HELP TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO CALF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. THESE DATA WILL IN TURN BE USED TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO HELP IMPROVE CALF HEALTH AND LIVESTOCK OPERATION PRODUCTIVITY AS WELL AS SUSTAINABILITY.