First calving: how not to fool yourself when rearing heifers
Every heifer on the farm – is a long-term investment. From birth to first calving, she generates no immediate financial return, but requires constant care, feed, working hours and insemination costs. This is why the first calving is a turning point: it marks the transition from investment to milk production. But what do you do when this transition is not only not smooth, but also becomes unprofitable?
Dr. Donata Uchockienė: „When we look at a cow's performance, we too often forget that it all starts before the first insemination. If a heifer is too thin, too old or physiologically underdeveloped – we will have a much lower chance of her becoming a long-lived, productive cow.“
When is a heifer ready?
On Lithuanian farms, there are still cases where heifers are inseminated "by eye", based on age or calendar date, but not on actual body development. However, research shows that for insemination, a heifer must reach at least 55% to 60% of the future adult cow weight. This means that at the time of insemination the heifer should weigh around 370–400 kg, depending on the breed [1]. A heifer that is inseminated too early and is physically underdeveloped is more likely to have calving complications, a poorer start to lactation, and often premature weaning. On the other hand, a heifer inseminated too late is simply more expensive – every extra month is a loss to the farm.
Dr. Donata Uchockienė: „When I see a heifer on the farm calving at 27 months or older, I always ask – what else is so expensive that we are keeping for two years and hoping it will pay for itself? After all, we are robbing ourselves when we allow calving to take place too late. First lactation result – an indicator of the future of the herd A heifer that calves at 23–24 months of age, at the right weight and body condition, will usually have a successful start to lactation and have a better chance of achieving second and third lactations. This means both a lower risk of culling and a higher average herd milk yield. Studies show that heifers that calve early and easily produce about 10% more milk in the first lactation and stay in the herd on average one year longer [2]. Dr. Donata Uchockienė: „The first calving should not be just a fact – it should be successful. It has to set the cow on a long productive path. If we start with problems – there is little milk, the cow is thin, the herd is short-lived. The heifer becomes a costly mistake rather than an investment.
What can be changed now? The first step – evaluate heifers. By height, weight or girth. Find a method that works for you to accurately determine whether it is time to inseminate a heifer. Second – plan. The plan for insemination and calving must be linked to the herd's objectives, not to "this is the way we've always done it". Third – monitor the results of the first lactation. If new cows are producing less than the herd average, look for the cause not where it's easy – but where it originated: in the heifer rearing and preparation phase. Dr. Donata Uchockienė: „Let's remember – a heifer doesn't pay for itself with the first calving. It starts the return. And that return depends on the starting position we gave her. Let's not fool ourselves. Literature: [1] Heinrichs, A. J. (1993). Raising dairy replacements to meet the needs of the 21st century. Journal of Dairy Science, 76(10), 3179–3187. [2] Wathes, D. C., Brickell, J. S., Bourne, N. E., Swali, A., & Cheng, Z. (2008). Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms. Animal, 2(8), 1135–1143. Editorial article with expert commentary – dr. Donata Uchockienė, dairy farm consultant, UAB „Gameta LT“
