The Influence of a Health Program on Dairy Heifer Productivity in Minnesota

Abstract

It has been previously noteds that heifers, although they represent the future production potential of herds, were commonly the most neglected group of animals on Minnesota dairy farms. Many calved at ages far beyond the recommended 24 months and 28 months was the average calving age of heifers entering the Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) record system¹. On the other hand it was not unusual for the author to observe large and well grown heifers that had not been bred on farm visits.

Heifer raising costs in Minnesota were estimated at $1353 to 24 months of age while beyond this the cost increased to $1.92 per day. 7 A partial farm budgets for an average Minnesota dairy herd estimated a potential gross benefit of $5,548 from all heifers achieving first calving at 24 months. Yet when this study started few preventive medicine and monitoring techniques for heifers were used in Minnesota, so there appeared to be a potential to profitably influence heifer raising programs.

A clinical trials to evaluate a co-ordinated delivery of preventive medicine procedures to heifers was designed. The project's major aim was to determine the influence of several intervention procedures delivered as a heifer health program on growth, survival and productivity. A second aim  was to document the growth and survival of heifers on some Minnesota dairy farms, since little or no documented information was available.

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