An investment in your calf nutrition program is an investment in the future of your herd. Research has shown that a calf diet focused on good, healthy growth from birth to breeding can reap significant increases in first-lactation milk yield.

Birth through 12 weeks old is a critical time in establishing the lifetime growth potential of a calf, and feeding strategies weeks 12 to 24 are essential to optimal rumen development. As a result, it is not surprising that this age group is where resources are invested most heavily when it comes to raising calves. But what about those heifers after they’ve reached 24 weeks old? This group of developing heifers are often referred to as the forgotten age, as many calf and heifer-raisers tend to put them on auto-pilot until they are ready to calve.