Give late heifer calves special attention

Late calves must get special attention if they are to calve down at 22 months early in the season at the proper weight.

Almost half our dairy heifers don’t calve under the age of 30 months, and this is a serious loss to dairy farmers. Make sure your calves thrive from birth to calving.

Raising milk yields per cow can have a big effect in reducing replacement costs. A 20% replacement rate for a 75,000 gallons quota in a 1,000 gallon herd is 15 heifers. A 20% replacement rate for the same size quota in a 1,400-gallon herd is 11 heifers.