Management Strategies

Replacement Heifers

Abstract

The acquisition of replacement heifers is a significant cost to milk producers and has a significant effect on profitability. About 20% of total variable expenses to produce milk, go to raising replacement heifers.

A milk producer must first strategize if it is better to sell all calves and purchase needed replacements or raise replacements. The advantages and disadvantages of purchasing needed replacements must be evaluated along with a careful analysis of the cost to raise replacements before a quality decision based on the evidence can be made.

When a milk producer decides to maintain ownership of replacement heifers, a decision must still be made regarding who will raise them. Custom rearing is still an option. This decision is very similar to the "sell/not sell" decision in the process of analyzing the advantages, disadvantages and current situation but is vastly different in how it is implemented and managed.

Whoever takes the responsibility to raise the replacement heifers must consider many different strategies: to achieve a labor efficiency of 14-15 daily labor hours per preweaned calf and 80-90 daily labor hours per postweaned calf, to maintain reproductive efficiency at levels equivalent to lactating cows, to maintain a growth strategy but monitoring and implementing a sound nutritional program.