ARTICLE 52 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2024 “The productive lifespan of dairy cows is short compared to their natural life expectancy of twenty years. The average is very low in most developed dairy industries. This is becoming a global problem that we are seeing occur in many countries across the globe.” GROWING PROFITABLE HEIFERS: A PRODUCTIVE LIFE STORY Dr. Gavin Staley Technical Service Specialist Diamond V/Cargill Around the globe, there is a growing need to extend the productive lifetime of dairy cows. Not only is it a necessity, but it can be economically and environmentally beneficial. Productive life can be defined as the time from first calving to culling, or when the cow is no longer sufficiently productive. Unfortunately, the average lactation of most dairy herds is low (2.1-2.2), which means productive life is limited. Many cows still have a replacement or “mortgage” cost when they leave the herd, as their breakeven point is often the 2nd lactation. Healthy mature cows (Lact>2) are most profitable, but too often, heifer pressures and involuntary culls cut us short from reaching our full profit potential. So, what needs to be done differently? Consider the following areas. Heifers need to be bred at the right combination of age and body maturity so they can be close to mature size and weight at calving. An aggressive heifer management program will implement the right nutrition to keep heifers growing into productive adults. It’s easy to get impatient and want to breed heifers early to get them into the lactating herd and have them start paying off their debts as soon as possible. But if long term success is the goal, then making sure the heifers reach the milking string fully prepared to perform will help establish longterm success. There is a name for these heifers that grow well and are prepared to freshen and thrive as cows—we call them platinum heifers. Set your herd goals to produce as many platinum heifers as possible. Start by setting your protocols to breed heifers by weight, not by age. The right weight is different for each herd and is based on your herd’s average mature weight. To find this weight, weigh third and fourth lactation cows when they are between 80 and 120 days in milk. With that goal weight in mind, you can develop a calf and heifer management program to achieve the proper growth rates to reach the optimal size in a reasonable amount of time. Since you are going off heifer size to make your breeding decision and not age, it’s important to weigh heifers at regular in-
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