What types of goals should dairy producers set?
Dairy producers should set realistic goals for their heifers. If we are talking about Holstein heifers, the weight at first breeding should be about 800 pounds. The age at first calving should be between 22-24 months, and weight at first calving between 1,350 to 1,400 pounds. The height at first calving should be 54 inches or greater, and the body condition score should be about 3.5 on a one to five scale. Should heifers be bred based on size or age? Heifers should be bred based on size, and by that I mean weight, rather than age. We have to remember that if a Holstein heifer gains 1.8 pounds per day, 800 pounds will be reached by 13 months-of-age. Now, if Holstein heifers gain weight faster than expected and attain the proper size or weight for breeding at 10-11 months-of-age, we should go ahead and breed them. Let’s talk about the importance of heat detection in conception rates on age at first calving. If your heat detection efficiency is 50 percent, and your conception rate is 50 p
