SUMMER 2024
Photo: 7HO16387 HANX-P daughter at Holger LRS Farm, LLC, Hersey, Mich.
Unlocking the potential of
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s the most fertile and genetically-superior animals on the farm, heifers play a crucial role in influencing net-farm income. Not only is raising replacement heifers among the top expenses on a dairy, but data shows there are significant opportunities to enhance heifer non-completion rates (heifers born alive but don’t make it to the milking herd), pregnancy rates, and more. This publication focuses on heifer management and explores ways you can “get more" from your heifer program. According to the CentralStar team, key areas offering significant improvement opportunities include calf-health, inventory-management, genetic-strategy, and reproductive efficiency. Research indicates eliminating health issues from birth results in higher production and longer-herd retention. Records Analysis Consultant Kelly Sporer emphasizes what she experiences first-hand with the long-term benefits of early calf-health practices. With record-high replacement and beef-on-dairy prices, you may be reconsidering genetic strategy. Genetic and Reproductive Consultant Tom Brown uses a recent experience that will help you answer if a sexed- and beef-semen strategy is profitable for you.
heifer programs
starts with a pregnancy, confirmation is equally as important to reproductive success. Customer Solutions Advisor Michelle Kaufmann shares common confirmation-program challenges, and two producers share the advantages of blood-pregnancy testing. Additionally, eight CentralStar team members offer insight on the greatest heifer opportunities they encounter most often. Establishing and reviewing benchmarks is important to evaluate the performance and potential of your heifer program. Target benchmarks of where and how your heifer herd should be performing today are included inside these pages. These reproduction goals should be attainable in the short term on the way to achieving the “gold standards” established by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA). If you find yourself far from these benchmarks, don't be discouraged, the CentralStar team can help establish plans and goals for more-attainable first steps.
Reproductive failure is the second-leading cause of heifer loss, incurring significant rearing costs that outweigh the salvage value. Records Analysis Consultant Laura Styczynski illustrates how three herds transformed heifer reproduction. While it
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Zoetis and Compeer Financial Analysis.
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