Heifer prices topping out at $2,175
Heifer prices continue to hold steady with last month. Currently, supreme-rated springing heifers are averaging $1,825 at reported locations, says Greg Scheer, dairy analyst with Doane Advisory Services in St. Louis. Medium-grade springers averaged $1,440. Here are some recent reported prices for springers and calves by region.

	Springing heifers		Heifer calves
	Supreme/top grade	Approved/medium grade	90 to 120 pounds
Escalon, Calif.	$1,600-$2,100	$1,100-$1,500	Not reported
Portales, N.M.	$1,825-$2,175	$1,500-$1,800	Not reported
Ithaca, Wis.	$1,700-$1,975	$1,450-$1,750	Not reported
Sulphur Springs, Texas	$1,200-$1,800	$800-$1,200	$75-$525
New Holland, Pa.	$1,875-$2,000	$1,550-$1,750	Not reported

Welcome to the Mar. 26 edition of Calf and Heifer Adviser, published by Dairy Herd Management^® magazine.

Calf and Heifer Adviser and its core sponsors are committed to providing you with the information you need to make informed and timely business decisions.

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Selenium and vitamin E benefit calves
Organic selenium and adequate vitamin E improved pre-weaned calf growth and health, according to research presented last week at the Midwest regional meeting of the American Dairy Science Association held in Des Moines, Iowa. For instance, calves fed 0.3 parts per million (ppm) organic selenium and 1,000 IU of vitamin E per day had fewer sick days than calves fed the same amount of inorganic selenium and only 250 IU of vitamin E. For more study details, go to www.dairyherd.com.

Study explores effect of colostrum replacers on Johne's risk
Does feeding a colostrum replacer lower a calf’s risk of contracting Johne’s? University of Minnesota researchers hope to answer that question. Last week, they reported preliminary results at the Midwest regional American Dairy Science Association meeting. Blood samples taken at 24 months of age show about 3 percent (five out of 151 calves fed a commercial colostrum replacer at birth) tested positive for Johne’s. By comparison, about 5 percent (9 out of 171 calves fed maternal colostrum at birth) tested positive for Johne’s.
    The researchers do not wish to draw conclusions until the study is done. They are currently analyzing the results of blood samples taken at 36 months of age. A third round of sampling will take place next year.

PDHGA becomes Dairy Calf and Heifer Association
Last week, the board of directors of the Professional Dairy Heifer Growers Association voted to change the organization’s name. The new name, National Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, better defines who the association serves.
    “Many people in the dairy industry have perceived that our organization is an exclusive group for contract heifer growers,” says Steve Bechard, the association’s president from West Chazy, N.Y. “Our mission is to assist the dairy industry in raising high-quality dairy replacements. That includes everyone who raises dairy calves and heifers, whether they are contract growers or dairy producers who raise their own replacements.” For more details, go to www.dairyherd.com.

Rotation system for colostrum
El-Vi Farms in Newark, N.Y., uses a rotation system to organize refrigerated colostrum. Prior to refrigeration, employees note the date and colostrum quality on each bottle. Bottles rotate from left to right in the refrigerator, with the freshest bottles being on the left. Employees have been trained to grab a bottle from the right side and feed a newborn calf within two hours of birth, says George Andrew, one of the partners. The calf supervisor checks the refrigerator daily to make sure calves are not getting colostrum that’s more than five to seven days old. A three-day rotation is recommended, Andrew says. The dairy lacks freezer space, so it can’t depend on frozen colostrum to meet its needs.

Keep on schedule with CIDRs
If you use a controlled-internal-drug-releasing (CIDR) device to help get heifers bred, make sure that you stick to the recommended schedule. If it is day 15 in a heifer’s cycle, and you insert a CIDR, that follicle remains viable, Carlos Risco, professor of food animal reproduction and medicine at the University of Florida, told attendees last month at the Western Veterinary Conference. The CIDR slows the growth of the follicle and must be removed at day seven or eight. If you leave it in too long, the result is a cystic follicle as opposed to a good breedable follicle.

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