Dairy Calf and Dairy Heifer Management – DAIReXNET
Aug 16, 2019 · Well-grown dairy calves and heifers play an important role in the future success of all dairy farms. Being able to efficiently raise replacement dairy heifers or create an effective working relationship with a contracted dairy heifer grower is crucial to raising replacements that improve the performance of the dairy herd for years to come.
Heifer Economics - Penn State Extension
Dec 8, 2022 · Unfortunately, on many farms, the dairy heifer is the most overlooked and under-managed asset on the farm. The main goal for managing replacement heifers is to freshen them between 22 and 24 months of age to reduce expenditures and to increase total milk production.
Raising dairy heifers requires significant resources (feed, time, facilities) that make up about 25% of a dairy farm’s production costs.
Dairy Heifer Production - Penn State Extension
Oct 10, 2005 · Dairy heifer production in the northeast and the Midwest has traditionally been the responsibility of individual dairy farmers. However, milk producers are increasingly buying bred replacement heifers or contracting their own heifers out to other growers.
There are several factors that can greatly impact feed efficiency in the dairy heifer, such as genetics, forage quality (digestibility), growth rate or stage of growth, body condition or gain in body composition, gestation, heat or cold stress (environmental stresses), and exercise level.
A 100-Year Review: A century of dairy heifer research
Precision-feeding dairy heifers a high rumen-degradable protein diet with different proportions of dietary fiber and forage-to-concentrate ratios
Optimizing heifer growth and reproductive management: Practical ...
Nov 1, 2024 · Research shows that breeding heifers at the right body weight improves reproductive success and ensures healthier first-lactation cows. It was found through a quartile analysis of a group of heifers that the lighter heifers had higher fertility, whereas the heavier heifers had better genetics for milk production.
Monitoring Dairy Heifer Growth - Penn State Extension
Dec 8, 2022 · Growing heifers at reduced average daily gain reduced milk production, and growing too fast also reduced production. In the prepubertal period from 2 to 10 months of age, growing heifers at 1.75 pounds per day resulted in the highest first lactation milk production and milk protein yield.
A 100-Year Review: A century of dairy heifer research
Dec 1, 2017 · Research into growth rates and standards for body size and stature have been instrumental in developing rearing programs that provide heifers with adequate nutrients to support growth and improve milk production in first lactation.
Differences in breeds and sire lines suggest the presence of a genetic component for heifer livability (HLIV). Genomic evaluation for this trait can increase profitability and improve animal health and welfare. Evaluations for HLIV were examined from 3,362,499 calf data records from heifers of all breeds born from 2009 to 2016.