In the current economic climate, dairy farmers are looking to increase efficiency across their business and reduce costs. Although it is viewed as a small portion of the dairy enterprise, nearly 20 percent of the production costs incurred on a dairy are attributed to raising replacement heifers.

With increased emphasis on early life feeding programs for replacement heifers, the need for more information regarding successful weaning management is clear. More and more dairy farmers are feeding double, and sometimes nearly triple, the milk feeding rates that had been recommended for decades prior.

The crude protein (CP) concentrations and sources used in calf starters and growers are frequently questioned and debated today. Thirty-five (or more) years ago when the understanding of rumen-degradable and undegradable protein was developing, many nutritionists started adding sources of undegradable protein to calf starters and growers, beginning this discussion.

Summer is here, and with 2017 predicted to be warmer than normal, heat stress management on dairy farms should be a top priority. However, heat stress doesn’t just apply to cows. All livestock experience heat stress in similar ways.

Many calf raisers have placed great emphasis on weight gain, measuring success by average daily gain and doubling birthweight in the first 56 to 60 days. While weight gain is important, it doesn’t always equate to structural growth.

Over the last decade, research has consistently shown average daily gain (ADG) improves when milk or milk replacer is fed at rates providing more than 1.0 pounds of solids per day. Liquid feeding programs encouraging intakes greater than 2.0 pounds of solids per day have been promoted by several university research groups and feed companies in order to provide more “biologically appropriate” nutrition.

Nutrition of dairy heifers is often talked about as a whole without referring to the age and growth stage of the heifer. Even though there is a lot of focus placed on feeding milk-fed calves, little research information is available regarding the best strategies for feeding post-weaned dairy heifers.

Successful heifer-rearing programs are often only judged by high growth rates to weaning and average ages at first calving. However, heifer management during weaning, transition and immediately post-weaning is often overlooked.