This document discusses strategies for grouping and feeding dairy heifers. It emphasizes the importance of measuring heifer height, weight, and body condition score to evaluate nutritional management. Heifers should be grouped by size, not age, and moved to the next group when consistent in size. Rations should be tailored to the heifers' stage of growth and balanced to support gains without becoming overconditioned before calving. Close-up heifers require similar transition rations as mature cows. Proper grouping, nutrition, and record keeping are essential to maximize heifer productivity and lifetime profitability.

1. GROUPING AND NUTRITIONAL
STRATEGIES FOR DAIRY HEIFERS

2. GROUPING AND NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR DAIRY HEIFERS
In order for heifer rearing programs to be
successful these animals must be given the
same time and consideration as the milking
herd. We are looking for:
1. Heifers that grow tall with the appropriate body condition
score (BCS).
2. Heifers calving out between 22 to 24 months of age with a
vigorous 1st and 2nd lactation and no “sophomore slump”.
3. Achieve all of these as economically as possible for my client

3. Measure, measure, measure!
Much can be learned about the success of a
calf and heifer-rearing program by
measuring height and weight.

4. Height
Height can be measured in several ways:
 My preferred method is to use a “height
stick” at the shoulder.
 Another method is to paint “height lines” on
housing and “eyeball” the heifers as they go
by.

5. Height
Height can be measured in several ways:
 My preferred method is to use a “height
stick” at the shoulder.
 Another method is to paint “height lines” on
housing and “eyeball” the heifers as they go
by.

6. Height

7. Weight
Weight can be obtained either by a scale or a
weight tape, I prefer a scale for accuracy.
If you do use a tape make sure the animals are
standing on a level hard floor surface with
weight equally balanced on all feet.
In addition watch for excess manure and dirt
on the underside of the heifers.

8. Weight
The resulting data should be applied to a
heifer growth chart and used to help evaluate
the performance of a heifer management
program.
These charts will show problem areas where
whole groups of animals are undersized,
underweight, or over weight, all good
indicators of improper feeding or poor overall
management.

9. GROUPING AND NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR DAIRY HEIFERS

10. Weight

11. BCS can be used to evaluate overall nutrition &
management.
 With my herds I body condition score ALL
production groups (milking, dry and heifers)
at each herd visit.
 With herds that I only visit on a bi-monthly
basis the herd veterinarian BCS’s the herd
and relays the information to me.
My client and I need this information

12. Increase/decrease energy directly related to the BCS
of heifer groups
There is no room on a progressive dairy farm
for thin or fat heifers.
Thin heifers have their obvious challenges but
by far in the year 2013 the most common
challenge to Holstein heifers is OVER
CONDITIONING.

13. Increase/decrease energy directly related to the BCS
of heifer groups
There is no room on a progressive dairy farm
for thin or fat heifers.
Thin heifers have their obvious challenges but
by far in the year 2013 the most common
challenge to Holstein heifers is OVER
CONDITIONING.

14. Over Conditioning
 Over conditioning pre-puberty heifers
destroys the udder bed & destroys a heifer’s
future productivity.
 Over conditioning at puberty makes heifers
show poor heats. If they do show heats they
are VERY difficult to AI.
 Over conditioning at calving results in “fat
cow syndrome”: dystocia, ketosis, retained
placentas etc.

15. Body Condition Score for Holstein Heifers

16. Body Condition Score for Holstein Heifers
Calves are usually born with very little
condition (BCS 2.0 to 2.5).
BCS should approach 3 by breeding and 3.5 to
3.75 by calving at 24 months.

17. Decisions, decisions,
decisions…
 Body weights, shoulder heights and BCS
allow me to make decisions regarding the
energy and protein requirements of my
clients’ heifers. Without them I am guessing.
 These decisions will directly impact on a
heifer’s growth, age at breeding and calving
and her lifetime profitability.

18. Forage Analysis and Ration Balancing
Almost all of the herds I work with send in ALL
forages for analysis once a month, this
includes heifer forages.
Most perform dry matter analysis on a weekly
basis and record dry matter intakes on a daily
basis for all production groups.

19. Pay as much attention to calf & heifer groups as
milking & dry cows!
Herd health/nutrition calls involve as much,
and in some months more, attention paid to the
calf and heifer groups as to the milking and dry
cows.
These animals are the future of these herds
and to neglect them is to neglect the overall
operation, not a smart business move!

20. Grouping Strategies
 Birth to 2 weeks post weaning (this will range
between 6 to 10 weeks of age).
 Post weaning to 4 months of age.
 4 months to 6 months
 6 months to 11 months.
 Breeding group (12 months to 15 months).
 Bred group.
 Close-up heifer group (3 weeks prepartum).
Note: This grouping strategy is typical of herds
breeding at 12 months of age. Some herds will also
have a group for heifers 9 months to breeding age.

21. Move Heifers into the next group based on size not
age.
Although we categorize heifer groups by age,
heifers should be moved into the next senior
group based on size NOT age.
Animals in a group should show good size
consistency. Heifers that are small for their age
suffer enormous abuse at the hands of their
sister heifers.
Young heifers should be kept in groups of 10
or less.

22. Rations - Post Weaning to 6 Months
Heifers are not fully functional ruminants until
they are between 4 and 6 months of age.
The emphasis in this ration will be palatability,
high quality grains and protein sources and
limited VERY HIGH QUALITY hay. There is new
research out of Spain suggesting that calves
should receive a poorer quality hay to limit
intake.

23. Rations - Post Weaning to 6 Months
I strongly believe that ALL animal groups
should have access to high quality, clean water
24 hours a day. This includes calves and
heifers.
In addition, all heifer groups must receive well-
balanced mineral and vitamin packages
containing an ionophore.

24. 6 Months to Breeding
Most of the herds I work with feed high group
TMR to this group; some herds feed TMR to the
post-weaning group successfully.
Heifers are now functional ruminants, and
although much of their nutrition can be met
through forages, growing heifers require some
grains and protein supplements.

25. Breeding and Bred
The primary goal for this group of heifers is to
maintain an ADG between 0.75 and 0.82 kg/day
while minimizing feed costs.
Almost 98% of the ration can come from
quality forages; the rest is vitamin and mineral
premix.

26. Close-up Heifers
Close up heifers need to be prepared to enter
the milking herd in a similar fashion to the
mature cow.
My herds follow a 3-week close up program;
this ration “mimics” the milking ration but is
balanced for the special needs of the transition
animal.
Wherever possible I do not expose springing
heifers to anionic salts, for palatability issues.

27. Summary
 Body condition score, body weight and shoulder heights.
 Analyze forages on a monthly basis, do dry matter
determinations on a weekly basis.
 A quality, well-balanced ration should be available to all heifer
groups 24 hours a day.
 Group according to size not age; maintain consistency in size
in each group.
 Close up heifers need the same transition into the milking
ration as the mature cows.
 ALL calves and heifers must have access to high quality water
and a well-balanced vitamin mineral premix containing an
ionophore.