Rearing heifers is a substantial cost to your business with the return on investment not being recouped until they reach their 2nd lactation. Yet, on average, 17% of milking heifers exit the herd before this. Giving heifers the best opportunity to calve down for a 2nd time is not only important for your bottom line, but also the impact of herd longevity on your carbon footprint and consumer perception of dairy farming. 

That’s why it’s so important to monitor the performance of your milking heifers and consider management changes that will help them to adapt to herd life, allow them to finish growing – and  to realise their genetic potential.

AHDB research showed that calving by 24 months of age could reduce rearing costs and led to better survival and growth rates, as well as improved health, and fertility. As part of AHDB’s Calf to Calving programme, we saw a significant reduction across the country in age at first calving. Now, we’re taking a look at the next step. 

In this episode of the Food & Farming podcast, AHDB Dairy Knowledge Exchange Manager Shirley Macmillan is joined by AHDB Senior Health & Welfare Scientist, Dr Jenny Gibbons, whose work on calf and heifer rearing has highlighted many of these issues.

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This episode was produced and edited by Kate Herrick, Marcomms Executive (Dairy).