Dairy Herd Management's Calf and Heifer Adviser

Controlled gains yield same performance

A Penn State study offers more insight on the effect of controlled feeding before puberty on future milk production. The results suggest heifers limit-fed a high-concentrate or high-forage diet before puberty perform the same after calving. For more details, go to: www.dairyherd.com.

New heifer-growth publication
What is the best way to grow a dairy heifer? "It depends," is the overtired response. But researchers at several leading universities attempted to quantify that answer in the new publication, "Heifer Growth and Economics: Target Growth." The guide is published by the Bovine Alliance on Management and Nutrition. It is available at no charge. Follow this link for more details.

Headlocks done right
When introducing young animals to free-stalls and headlocks, make it a positive experience. For example, don’t put a young animal in lockup and then immediately dehorn it. This creates a negative association with the headlock. Williams Dairy in Madison, Ga., is certainly aware of this. “We usually give them a week to 10 days before we either vaccinate or dehorn or anything that would stress out the calf moving into a new environment,” says Justin Williams. They introduce animals to headlocks between six weeks of age and six months of age.

Navel infections affect performance
About 13 percent of calves that arrive at the custom-heifer raising facility Rancho Las Nieves in Spain arrive with a navel infection. Managers suspected that this condition impacted calf and heifer performance. After examining the detailed records kept at the heifer-growing facility, they found that calves that arrived with a navel infection had a 13 percent greater chance of contracting pneumonia and a slightly lower average daily gain, reports Alex Bach, director of ruminant production at IRTA in Barcelona, Spain. Given this information, heifer growers may want to consider charging more to raise those heifers.

Tool evaluates cost of milk-replacer options
Researchers at Penn State University have developed a new tool to help you reduce feed cost for milk-fed calves. "Milk Replacer Costs and Your Options" examines the pros and cons of various feeding strategies. To access it, follow this link (PDF format).

Calf & Heifer Research Track archive
You asked for it, and now Dairy Herd Management is delivering it — an archive of calf and heifer research. The "Calf & Heifer Research Track" archive contains the latest research on the care and management of calves and heifers — all organized by topic for ease of use. All of the articles have previously appeared in Dairy Herd Management magazine, or within Calf & Heifer Adviser. To access the archive, go to the Calf & Heifer Resource Center.

Bunk management for heifers

There's nothing like shoveling bunks for inspiration. Huddleston, Va., veterinarian and custom-heifer grower Don Gardner says frustration with wasted feed provided the motivation to fine-tune feeding procedures at his heifer operation. Gardner and his son, Sam, raise weaned-to-springing heifers for four dairies, typically caring for about 700 heifers at any given time. To learn the feeding lessons they have learned, follow this link.

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