Heifer
After several years of tight replacement numbers, rising use of sexed semen suggests U.S. dairy producers are beginning to slowly rebuild heifer supplies.
Strong beef prices are pushing milk production higher, but what happens when the bubble bursts?
The problems you don’t see can cost the most. Spotting the small, easily overlooked issues on your farm can change the way your herd performs.
When replacement heifers are limited, every pregnancy counts.
Many heifer intramammary infections begin months before calving, long before milking hygiene becomes relevant. Targeting prevention earlier can protect future milk production and improve overall herd health.
It’s easy to chase calf prices or cut costs but not at the expense of creating a replacement shortage in your herd.
Heifers have unique requirements and challenges leading to individual groups, adjustments in feed additives and rations designed to meet growth and milk needs.
The tide might be turning in the creation of new replacement heifers in the U.S. dairy industry, but the contraction will continue for at least the next three years, according to economists at CoBank.
Reported cattle prices continue to post new highs — making us all wonder how the market can get any better than it currently is.
Economics suggest producers will keep cull rates low.
Dairy heifers and calves continue to fetch high prices, with Holstein springers reaching up to $4,000 and beef-cross calves topping $1,650 in recent auctions across the U.S.
The ebb and flow of market factors require dairies to be nimble in their management strategies. Situation currently at hand: not enough heifers to meet typical demand. That’s why Wisconsin veterinarian Ryan Leiterman advises dairies to embrace their older cows.
After reaching historically high levels, springing Holstein heifer prices have softened somewhat in the past month.
It’s history in the making in U.S. dairy animal trade right now, as springer values stay knocking on the door of $4,000 per head, and calf prices continue to soar.
By focusing on evaluation, planning and economic considerations, producers can ensure their herd remains competitive and efficient.
It is important that dairy industry stakeholders work together to further understand the complexity and underlying mechanisms of heat stress impacts and develop alternative strategies to mitigate the risks.
It’s history in the making in U.S. dairy animal trade right now, as springer values stay knocking on the door of $4,000 per head.
Staph. aureus is being Confirmed More Frequently as the Culprit Contributing to Subclinical Mastitis
One researcher says of the 7,800 bulk tank milk samples her company tests annually, 45% of them are positive for the bacterium.
With heifer prices at record highs, raising replacements on-farm can be a money saver since 2024 costs are much lower than buying on the market.
Heifer supplies are tight, but cow numbers continue to increase and are substantially higher than a year ago. High heifer prices and a tight supply have resulted in farmers holding on to more cows.
Does it make financial sense to purchase dairy replacement heifers in today’s white-hot market?
An unprecedented shift in the U.S. dairy cattle population could signal uncertainty ahead in terms of milk production, cow numbers, and prices – for both the milk and the animals.
Beef-on-dairy strategy continues to cut into heifer supply.
The USDA’s January 2025 Cattle Inventory Report revealed that we are living in historic times in terms of the U.S. dairy heifer population.
Monitoring heifer growth, and making management decisions based upon it, is proving to be an increasingly important practice to strike the delicate balance between economizing heifer development and breeding them at the correct stage to maximize their performance as mature cows.
Any existing herd health problems are amplified by HPAI H5N1, practitioners report. Some are asking regulatory agencies for more consistent testing and reporting protocols. They are also encouraging producers to invest dollars in better nutrition and cow comfort resources.
Compared to five years ago, today’s Holstein springer values are double to triple and still on the rise.