Breeding heifers to calve in around 2 years old puts them on a productive track to begin paying off the costs of their rearing and avoid mounting up additional expenses while they remain open

Sometimes on the farm, I just need a bit of good news. For those of you who dairy or have in the past, you know what I mean. A little pick-me-up of good news just hits the spot

When it comes to raising heifers, we don’t want them to grow too slowly – or too fast

Raising heifers economically isn’t just about feed prices, as herd management practices can make a big impact on the bottom line

Though feeding a dairy heifer makes up the largest single cost of raising it, that still can become a lower priority

To do the best job possible at growing heifers, farmers need to track growth, monitor body condition scores, and consider industry benchmarking

The true cost of raising replacement heifers is difficult to determine, although every dairy farmer realizes it’s a significant investment

Whether building brand new or repurposing an old building, there are certain details that should not be overlooked when it comes to heifer housing

With the value of Holstein bull calves at rock bottom the last several years, many farms are looking toward the use of beef semen

The rush to calve heifers young is likely costing dairy producers thousands of pounds of lifetime milk production, said a Utah nutritionist and consultant

A cow’s productive life doesn’t just begin when it starts producing milk

In tight economic times, everything comes under the radar, and heifer care and growth has been no exception. We’ve written both about raising healthy heifers more quickly and managing heifer inventories...

The transition period after weaning can be one of the most stressful times in a heifer’s life

Age at first calving is the biggest factor affecting the total cost of raising heifers, and reproduction is a key factor in managing calving age

There’s a feeding strategy that allows you to put less feed in front of heifers, improve their feed efficiency, reduce nutrient excretion, and save you money

On many farms, one of the least intensively managed groups on the farm is the pregnant heifers

By most accounts, heifer rearing is the second- or third-largest cost category on dairy farms

“If you want 99-plus percent of calves to live, follow the ‘big four’ at calving,” shared Lane Sollenberger with those attending the First International Conference of Calf and Heifer...

Most farms raise every heifer calf that is born. That served many of us well in the past. Extra heifers fueled expansion, replaced older cows, or were sold to generate income

“The most influential factor in our calf and heifer program that sets up future milk production is a very thorough and strict vaccination protocol,” said Jim Herron