In an increasingly demanding dairy production environment, the performance of replacement heifers is a major factor for ensuring herd profitability and sustainability. A solid rearing program goes beyond genetics – it starts with measuring current growth results.

Literally, the first hour of birth sets the stage for a calf’s life. After those 60 minutes, a calf climbs aboard one of three tracks.

Dairy enterprises invest considerable resources to raise replacements. To capture the opportunities that raising programs offer to farm profitability, dairy operations should not only make efforts to control raising expenses but also to ensure the return of their investment by evaluating the resulting quality of their replacements.

I have had the opportunity to analyze dairy software files from dairy operations across many states in the U.S., and I still see great opportunities to reduce herd turnover costs within many dairy operations. Here are a few areas to consider as you look at how to plan for your future replacement costs.

Your heifers are the future of your herd, and getting them to an ideal weight at the proper age is important to the future success of your business. Following simple protocols to get them bred at the ideal time will pay significant future dividends.

By definition, scours is complex: a complex clinical symptom associated with multifactorial diseases that prevent the intestine from absorbing fluids and nutrients. Don’t throw up your hands and assume there is only so much you can do.

While it may be tempting to raise every heifer calf, especially when replacement rates are high, it is essential to your profitability to identify when and why culling is necessary.