Optimizing Heifer Rearing Costs

Technical articles - Cost reduction

Cattle breeding Cattle breeding Genetics/selection of dairy cows

Group of Prim' Holstein heifers in Morbihan (Wikipedia commons)

In dairy farming, replacement strategies and heifer management have a strong impact on the medium and long-term performance of farms. Heifers selected and raised for herd replacement directly contribute to the genetic improvement of the herd, as well as to future milk production.

Due to its importance, heifer rearing is a significant expense item, the production costs of which can nevertheless be optimized without compromising the proper functioning of the farm.

This article presents two levers to mobilize in order to reduce the costs of this unit: grazing and age at first calving.

Age at first calving

Interest:

Lowering the age at which heifers calve shortens the period during which they generate costs (feed, etc.) without being "productive". It is estimated that implementing early calving for heifers, at 24 months instead of 27, can save 10% of production costs.

Points of caution:

Heifers calving early (22 to 24 months) generally have a lower live weight than others during the subsequent lactation. As a result, they are often less productive during their first lactation. In subsequent lactations, once they have caught up in weight, they become as productive or even more productive than animals calving at a more common age.

It is considered that animals managed for early calving would produce on average 300kg less milk than those calving at 33 months. However, the benefits of early calving can truly be observed by studying their productivity over their entire lifetime: + 1 to 2 kg of milk per day compared to a "normal" calving.

It is also important to note that early calving does not cause particular difficulties regarding hygiene or fertility of the animals concerned. Ultimately, adopting this practice must be accompanied by greater attention to the feeding and growth of heifers.

Grazing

Interest:

Putting heifers out to pasture from their first year is another technical lever with a strong impact on reducing production costs. It is considered that it can generate savings of up to €110 / heifer / grazing season depending on the farm's feeding system.

	Economic impact of one month of grazing on the feed cost of a heifer
Diet	Corn - Straw	Corn - Grass Silage	Straw - Concentrates	Hay - Concentrates
Savings achieved for one month of grazing.	€10 / month	€8 / month	€19 / month	€17 / month

Taking the example of a heifer calving at 27 months in a "corn-straw" system, the total feed cost is €580. In this case, putting this heifer out to pasture for an average duration season (6 months) will save €60, or 10% of the feed cost! Similarly, grazing a heifer raised on a dry ration system "straw-concentrate" allows savings of about €20 / month of grazing, or more than €110 over a season as mentioned above.

Points of caution:

Grass is a balanced and inexpensive forage that can perfectly meet the growth needs of animals, provided that grazing is thoughtful and controlled. It is necessary to take into account the impact of variable weather on the length of grazing seasons, as well as the possibility of supplementing the ration to manage this practice.

The main imperative is to adapt management to grass growth, so that it is consumed at the right stage and on coherent areas. In rotational grazing, it can be estimated that a heifer needs a grazing area of 1.5 ares / month of age per day in spring, and about 2.5 ares in summer.

Annexes

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