Heifer growth articles

--
Getting dairy heifers to XL
How well do my heifers grow
Pellets keep heifers on track
Contract heifer rearing
Keeping heifers on target
Easy ways to feed out
Big Girls XL, says InCalf

Getting dairy heifers to XL

On most dairy farms heifers won’t cover their rearing costs until they reach their second lactation. If they don’t get there, they still owe you money when they are culled.
Nutrition from weaning to first calving is the key to getting more heifers to make it into their second lactation. That’s why the theme for InCalf’s latest campaign is called , Heifers: Big girls XL!

Dairy Australia InCalf project leader, Dr Barry Zimmermann, said dairy heifers in every region of Australia need a high quality supplement for six months a year, or longer.

“The critical times are post weaning and when high-quality pasture is not available. So the timing will vary from region to region but the need is universal,” he said.

“Start planning a month before it starts drying off in your area so you have feed ready when your heifers need it,” he said.

By ‘high quality’, Dr Zimmermann means at least 11.5MJ ME/kg DM and 16% crude protein. To achieve this, the supplement will probably need to include a cereal and a legume.

Many people recognise that feeding supplements to heifers is a profitable investment. But the challenge is often the time, effort and logistics involved in putting it into practice.
Two options that can help are contract rearing or a simple feeding system.

“Before committing to rearing your heifers off farm, make sure both parties are clear about expectations and responsibilities,” Dr Zimmermann said.

The best way to be clear is to document requirements, responsibilities, growth targets and payment terms in an agreement or contract. The InCalf website has an example contract.

If you rear your own heifers, consider a feeding system to save time, such as a portable feeder or self feeder.

“If using a self-feeder, talk to your nutritionist about ways to reduce the risk of acidosis. And monitor waste levels.”

Here’s a few ways that big girls excel. Heavier, well-framed heifers:

Get in calf easier the first time.
Produce more milk in their first lactation (850L more milk for every extra 50kg in body weight.)
Get back in calf sooner for their second lactation.
Stay in the herd longer.
Need less help calving.
Cope better with herd competition.

For more information refer to InCalf’s Heifers: big girls XL booklet, available through your adviser or vet or email: enquiries@incalf.com.au or phone InCalf (03) 9620-7283.

How well do my heifers grow

Every dairy farmer knows that growing well-framed heifers is an investment for the future of the business. But what’s not so obvious is how successful the heifer rearing program was.

Dairy Australia’s InCalf project leader, Dr Barry Zimmermann, suggests some easy ways to check how well heifers have been grown in the past.

“A quick review of how well the last batch of heifers have performed will help you know if there’s room to improve heifer management, particularly nutrition,” Dr Zimmermann said.

“Remember, heifers on most farms won’t cover their rearing costs until their second lactation. So if they don’t get there, they still owe you money when they are culled.”

Dr Zimmermann suggests looking at two indicators: heifer milk production and culling.

First calver milk production is strongly linked to the size of the heifer at calving. Use your herd test information or InCalf Fertility Focus Report to assess first calver milk production.

“The average milk production of heifers should be at least 83% of the mature cows in the herd.”

Heifer culling and carry-over rates give you an indication of how many heifers failed to get in calf on schedule for their second lactation.

“At the start of the second lactation the number of culls, deaths and carry-overs should be less than 20% of the original number of heifers reared,” Dr Zimmermann said.

“If your heifers are below either of these two targets, they were probably too small at first joining and/or at first calving and it’s worth reviewing your heifer rearing practices.”

InCalf targets for heifer performance
Indicator	Target
Heifer milk production (average)	At least 83% of mature cows
Heifer culls, deaths and carry overs by start of second lactation	Less than 20% of original number of heifers reared

Dr Zimmermann said a good place to start is with heifer nutrition.

“All heifers need high-quality supplements for at least six months of the year,” he said.

For more information refer to InCalf’s Heifers: big girls XL booklet, available through your adviser, vet, email: enquiries@incalf.com.au or phone InCalf (03) 9620-7283.

Pellets keep heifers on track

Restricted-intake pellets are proving to be a useful tool for rearing better dairy heifers, while saving labour.

Developed by Dr Peter DeGaris of the Tarwin Veterinary Group and Anthony Pearce of Meningie Fodder, the new pellets make it easier to achieve InCalf’s recommendation that dairy heifers be fed a quality supplement for at least six months of the year.

Restricted intake pellets can be fed in 1 tonne self feeders placed in the paddocks and topped up about twice a week.

This is more convenient and involves less labour than feeding heifers a daily allowance, especially if heifers are reared away from the home-farm.

Until now the value of self feeders has been limited by variable results and the risk of acidosis – some calves don’t eat enough and others eat too much and get acidosis and the end result is uneven heifers,” said Dr DeGaris.

The restricted-intake pellets not only overcome this problem and produce better heifers; they save labour as the self feeders only need to be topped up a couple of times a week, instead of every day.

The level of different salts in the pellets restricts a heifer’s daily intake to 1.5% of its body weight.

The pellets contain 12 MJ ME/kg DM and 14% crude protein. While the protein level is relatively low for growing heifers, the pellets also contain BioChlor® and a number of other additives which increase rumen bacterial growth and the total yield of rumen bacterial protein per gram of fermentable carbohydrate.

The restricted-intake pellets are a relatively new development and currently only produced by a small number of feed mills.

For more information contact InCalf (03) 9620-7283.

Contract heifer rearing

Getting a specialist to rear heifers under contract can take the pressure off dairy farming and ensure future milkers are well grown and an asset to the business.

A good contract rearing arrangement means everyone involved is clear about their expectations, responsibilities and the terms of payment according to InCalf project leader Dr Barry Zimmermann.

Most contracts set out details covering weight gains, animal health treatments and any pre-entry requirements of the heifers before they leave the home farm (e.g. NLIS tags, worming, Johne's Disease management and vaccinations such as for pestivirus).

“Before entering a contract it’s often wise for both parties to visit each other’s facilities to consider standards and quality control,” Dr Zimmermann said.

“Contract rearers are usually paid according to heifer growth rates. It’s crucial both parties understand the target weights for heifers and how these weights are measured.”

A contract will often detail rearing expectations such as feeding regimes, health management, when to wean, vaccinations, dehorning and even joining requirements over the contract period as well as specifying what records need to be kept. View heifer rearing contract example.

The payment schedule needs to be set out in the contract and should include a clause outlining what happens if the contract obligations are not observed by either party.

For more information contact InCalf (03) 9620-7283.

Keeping heifers on target

InCalf is encouraging dairy farmers to feed heifers a quality supplement for at least six months of the year, but the only way you’ll know if growth rates are on track is to weigh them regularly.

Dr Barry Zimmermann, InCalf project leader, says the best way to get value for money invested in supplementary feed for heifers is to set targets, weigh every three months and draft out those below target for preferential feeding.

It’s important to ensure heifers reach their targets because heavier, well-framed heifers get in calf easier, produce more milk in their lifetime, need less help at calving and cope better with herd competition.

An easy way to work out heifer weight targets at any age is to use InCalf’s rule of thumb:

Holsteins: age (months) x 20 + 40 = today’s target weight in kg
Jerseys: age (months) x 15 + 35 = today’s target weight in kg

In a seasonal or split calving herd, assume all your calves are the same age as the oldest in the group, as they will all be mated at the same time.

If your herd is smaller or larger than average, look up the tables on pages 46- 47 in The InCalf Book.

The best way to help heifers below their target weight to catch up is to separate them and give them extra feed and TLC. This reduces the competition for feed and allows you to direct supplements to the heifers that need it the most.

No scales?

Weighing is usually a straightforward task but if you don’t have scales, consider using a local service, for example through your herd improvement centre. It’s usually a cheap and convenient option. If there’s no service available, use a girth tape or wither height stick, available through rural merchandisers.

View wither height and girth tape charts.

Here are three dairy farmers who are convinced it is worth the effort to weigh their heifers regularly:

Look out for InCalf’s booklet on heifer rearing, Heifers – big girls XL available through your adviser, vet or from InCalf direct ph 03 9620 7283 or email: enquiries@incalf.com.au.

Easy ways to feed out

On some farms it’s a case of ‘easier said than done,’ when it comes to feeding quality supplements to dairy heifers. InCalf’s Barry Zimmermann has some simple ideas to make the task easier.

“The time and hassle involved can become a barrier to feeding quality supplements to dairy heifers. But the rewards of feeding heifers are huge and long-lasting,” he said.

Heavier, well-framed heifers get in calf easier, produce more milk in their lifetime, need less help at calving and cope better with herd competition.

“There are plenty of simple systems on farms that save time, reduce waste and help achieve target growth rates for heifers.”

Lightweight, portable troughs that can be moved from paddock to paddock are great for smaller heifers (photo 1).

“They are quite cheap to buy but need to be refilled frequently,” said Dr Zimmermann.

Larger grain or pellet self-feeders cost a bit more, but save a lot more labour as they don’t need refilling as often. Some can be shifted using forks; others have wheels for towing. But make sure you take action to minimise the risk of acidosis with self feeders (photo 2).

For larger heifers, a simple platform with metal skirting will reduce fodder wastage (photo 3).

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

More tips: How to reduce wastage

More information: Natalie Davey ph 03 9620 7283, email: enquiries@incalf.com.au.

Big Girls XL, says InCalf

When it comes to dairy heifers, InCalf’s message is that big girls excel. And this will be the focus of InCalf’s latest awareness campaign, to run from February to April 2009.

Dr Barry Zimmermann, InCalf’s project leader, said Big Girls XL is based around a very simple principle: all dairy heifers need to receive a quality supplement for at least six months of the year until joining, regardless of the dairying system or location of the farm.

“Too many Australian dairy heifers do not reach their target weights by joining at about 15 months. And we know that heavier, well-framed heifers are set up for a long and productive life – they are easier to get in calf, produce more milk, and therefore more likely to remain in the milking herd,” said Dr Zimmermann.

“Feed quality and availability on every dairy farm is seasonal and there’s at least six months of the year when heifers will need quality supplements to achieve growth targets,” said Dr Zimmermann.

Quality supplements are those with at least 11.5MJ ME/kg DM and 16% crude protein. In most cases supplementary grain and a legume, or pellets will be needed to achieve this.

“The cost of supplementing is well and truly outweighed by the benefits which ultimately result in higher lifetime production and milkers that remain in the herd for many lactations,” said Dr Zimmermann.

So, if you want Big Girls that XL, look out for InCalf’s brochure and reminder cards which will be available through local advisers early in the new year.

More information Natalie Davey, ph (03) 9620-7283 , email: enquiries@incalf.com.au.