Rearing dairy herd replacements represents a major investment by dairy producers in the future of the enterprise. In today’s fast moving and competitive dairy industry it is crucial that heifers are reared cost effectively to calve at an age and body size which will maximise lifetime performance. This series of on-farm events provides new information across a range of key areas on which to base systems for rearing young stock which will maximise performance of replacements entering your herd in 2010 and beyond.
In order to make real progress in the industry on the feeding and management of heifers, it was recognised that an integrated approach is essential in terms of research, development and technology transfer. In view of this, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) Hillsborough, College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and John Thompson and Sons Ltd formed a partnership in 2005, with the objective of transferring research on heifer rearing into new rearing regimes on farms to improve the sustainability of dairying.
Contents
- Managing for calf health
- Calf feeding systems
- Whole milk versus milk replacer for calves
- Feeding level and protein content of milk replacer
- Weaning
- Measure to manage – Target body size through the rearing period
- Feeding and management from 12 weeks to calving
- Thompsons/AFBI/CAFRE heifer rearing project
- Selecting sires for your future dairy herd
- Smoothing the transition into lactation
- What is the true cost of rearing a dairy heifer?
- Key facts
- Posters
The full report can be downloaded at the link below:
