Calves & Heifers

Post-weaned heifers are the foundation of the milking herd. Taking the time to troubleshoot heifer management pays the farm back in profitability.

The pre-weaning period is a vulnerable time for dairy calves and as a result, optimizing growth and health can be a challenge for dairy producers.

How much does it cost to raise a heifer from birth to first calving? The costs associated with raising heifers are often overlooked when analyzing expenses on dairy farms.

Just as more is less, bigger is not always better when it comes to the growth and development of dairy heifers. The nature and growth of dairy cattle has vastly changed from decade to decade, and as traits have been genomically bred out of cattle, often the idea of “bigger equals better,” has become a misjudged trend.

Colostrum is the most important thing a producer can give a newborn calf. Ideally, it should be fed within the first hour of life. What happens during the calf’s first hour of life will have the biggest impact on the animal, even through lactation. It is a critical window that will determine if that calf will live and be a productive member of the dairy.

Would it surprise you that a critical difference between success and failure in raising calves is the attitude of the people taking care of the calves? How we view the calves and how we view our time are critical to success of the calf operation because they impact calf performance.