From weaning to mating

Reproductive performance of replacement heifers is directly related to liveweight at mating and calving. You need to provide them with the best opportunity to calve on time in the first and subsequent years.  Replacement heifers are your future and investing a little time and energy into them now will reap reward in the long term. 

The following extract from a client's Focus on Fertility Report demonstrates what can be achieved with well grown heifers. How does your calving pattern and 3-week submission rate of first calvers compare?

Well grown heifers also produce more milk at their first lactation, are more competitive with mixed-age cows and will survive longer in the milking herd than less well grown animals.

Growing of heifers from weaning to mating is therefore a very important but often under-prioritised period in a cow's life. Nutrition is the mainstay of good health and growth. 

• Regular weighing is required AT LEAST every three months and appropriate action taken depending on outcome.  Aim to have replacement heifers at 30% of mature liveweight at 6 months, 60% at 15 months and 90% at 22 months of age.
• Poor growth rates may be the alarm bell indicating that something else is going on. Parasitism is at the top of the list!  Weaners require regular drenching. Ensure you are using an appropriate drench family/combination and use a dose rate based on the weight of the heaviest animal.  As well as use of anthelmintics, try to have weaners on ‘safe' pastures until winter to minimise exposure to worms.  Worm burdens carried over from spring will interfere with growth rates and are normally due to Ostertagia. Develop a parasite control programme with your vet specifically for YOU based on best practice principles and good science. 
• Consider preferentially feeding late-born heifers so they have the best chance of achieving adequate liveweights by planned start of mating.

Other potential health issues for young stock that need to be considered include:

• Administration of appropriate vaccinations. In most cases they are clostridial and leptospirosis, but also worth discussing is use of Bovine Virus Diarrhoea (BVD) vaccine.  Maintain good records (date, dose, type, tag numbers of animals etc) to ensure boosters are given when required and animals gain the full benefits.
• Monitor trace element status (primarily selenium and copper) by blood sampling or standing liver biopsies, and take supplementary action if required.
• Protection of animals from facial eczema (FE) by use of zinc supplementation and/or supplementary feeding.  Consult with your vet to work out the most practical, efficient and cost-effective FE prevention strategy for you.
• Keep replacement animals away from poisonous plants such as tutu, bracken fern, foxglove etc, as they are still selective and curious grazers!

Happy growing!!!