How to improve your heifer weights
Monitoring programme and expert advice could make all the difference
Have you been disappointed with how your heifers have looked in previous years? Wanting to optimise your heifers’ performance? A good monitoring programme and expert advice could make all the difference.
Under-grown heifers have been scientifically proven to have poorer reproductive performance, liveweight at calving and lifetime milk production.
Liveweight is an objective measure of dairy heifer performance. Routine heifer weighing allows for monitoring of weight gain to ensure heifers meet all their targets. Weighing also allows you to be proactive.
If heifers begin to fall below target weights, we can help you get them back on track.
Well grown heifers:
Have improved milk production Heifers reaching target liveweight will produce 8.5kgMS more in their first lactation than if they are 10 per cent below target liveweight. (Dairy NZ, 2020)
Have greater lifetime productivity Heifers reaching target liveweight will have 5 per cent better 6wk incalf rates and 1.5 per cent lower empty rates. This equates to $35 economic benefit per heifer compared to heifers 10 per cent below target liveweight. (Dairy NZ, 2020)
Have reduced replacement costs Using InCalf data for a mob of 50 heifers, the potential gain to move them from 10 per cent under target liveweight to achieving targets is $3875 at a $5/kgMS milk price. (Dairy NZ, 2020)
We are excited to announce our new heifer monitoring programme here at Large Animal Vet Technologists.
By joining up to the programme you get to work with Charlene, our Headlands Consultant Vet, Steph, and the other techs, to help you to achieve your goals for heifer growth.
Heifer Liveweight Targets. Retrieved from Dairy NZ: https://www.dairynz. co.nz/animal/heifers/liveweighttargets/