Know your heifer weights
Raising heifers to be the future of your herd requires careful management, with a keen eye for detail.
Knowing your heifer weights and addressing any issues as they arise is vital to producing an animal that is productive throughout its lifetime.
Our HerdAdvance project aims to help Welsh dairy farmers lift profitability and performance by focusing on improved herd health management and disease control.
One of the project’s success stories has been farmer Richard Evans, who by weighing heifers monthly, was able to drop the average age at first calving from 35 months to 26 months.
The optimum age at first calving is 24 months. Every month over that costs farmers an additional £2.87 per day. Dropping the average age at first calving by nine months has led to a significant cost saving for Richard of £774 per heifer.
Knowing the exact weight of each animal has also allowed Richard to carry out monthly treatments and vaccinations, ensuring the correct doses are given. In addition, handling the animals regularly has meant they get used to the routine and heifers now settle into the herd more quickly.
To find more information about the HerdAdvance project, visit ahdb.org.uk/herdadvance
Teaghan Tayler is AHDB Dairy senior knowledge exchange manager
