The steps needed to improve your clients' heifer reproduction program are simple. Dairies with high pregnancy rates in the milking herd may find their heifers are older than the recommended 24-month age at first calving. Improve age at first calving by one or two months to: 1. Reduce raising costs from birth to freshening 2. Create earlier return on investment from heifers joining the milking herd 3. Offer herd management opportunities for expansion or voluntary culling 4. Age at first breeding has a direct impact on when heifers calve for the first time. There are several simple steps your clients can take to get heifers bred sooner: 5. Move heifers to the breeding pen weekly or as size targets are reached. 6. Use LUTALYSE® (dinoprost tromethamine) Sterile Solution on the day of the move to the breeding pen. Administer Eazi-Breed™ CIDR® Cattle Insert on Day 28 after the move to any heifers not inseminated. Perform routine pregnancy confirmation. Re-enroll open heifers to a breeding program with LUTALYSE or Eazi-Breed CIDR. PDF file, Heifer Breeding, is attached below. 05.10.2010