A cooperative team effort is required to keep your herd healthy, producing to potential and profitable.

You, your staff, your nutritionist or feed adviser, other professionals and your veterinarian are all integral parts of your production team.

Timely calving – to have first-calf heifers enter the milking string at 22 to 24 months old – is not a stand-alone decision. It’s not like producers wake up one day and say, “I think I’ll breed my heifers once they hit 12 months old.” This decision needs to take a number of factors into account to capitalize on production efficiencies to have replacement heifers “breeding rod ready” at 12 months old.