Heifers
Monitoring Heifer Growth
A Dairy Calf Tape allows you to quickly estimate the weight of young calves.
Heifer Feeding and Management
Improving feed efficiency in heifers can be accomplished by increasing diet digestibility, increasing forage fiber (NDF) digestibility, stimulating rumen microbial digestion, optimizing—not maximizing—feed intake, maintaining the animal in an adequate environment, maintaining the heifer in optimal health and management, and maintaining optimal growth rates.
Provided the level of intake is restricted to allow for an optimal level of ADG, high concentrate, precision-fed rations can be fed to dairy heifers successfully. Precision feeding heifers has the potential to reduce feed costs, reduce nutrient excretion, and increase feed efficiency without compromising heifer growth or future lactation performance.
Dairy replacements are the foundation of any dairy enterprise. Improvement of a herd is possible when culled cows are replaced by well fed, healthy, genetically superior, and properly managed 2-year-old heifers.
French language version of "Management of Dairy Heifers".
Economics
Cost estimates updated 12/23/09; Spreadsheet updated 1/9/2007.
Heifers are the foundation of any dairy enterprise. Farmers can improve their herds by replacing culled cows with well- fed, healthy, genetically superior 2-year-old heifers.
Excel spreadsheet.
Excel spreadsheet.
Excel spreadsheet.
Today’s successful dairy operation recognizes that heifers are an important investment in the future. They place high value on the heifer and regard it as a managed resource, whether raised on the farm or contract grown.
Contracts and Custom Businesses
An understanding of the importance of a written contract and its components is essential for custom heifer growers and for the dairy producers planning to employ these services.
Labor Management
Good labor management is a key to the success of the modern dairy business. Labor management includes the delegation of tasks, the supervision of employees, and the completion of tasks in an orderly and timely manner.
