Calf – Winter Feeding
Understanding the basic concepts of growth helps improve calf and heifer management. Early postnatal growth is the most efficient time to develop skeletal growth, muscle growth, deposit protein and attain the highest feed efficiency. Mammary development can be enhanced by liquid (milk) feed intake prior to weaning (Brown et al, 2002). Calf raisers are advised to assess and adapt their feeding practices to ensure adequate growth while maximizing economic benefits.
Winter-feeding in cold climatic conditions requires additional attention to ensure… Continue reading
Calf Winter Feeding
Understanding the basic concepts of growth helps improve calf and heifer management. Early postnatal growth is the most efficient time to develop skeletal growth, muscle growth, deposit protein and attain the highest feed efficiency. Mammary development can be enhanced by liquid (milk) feed intake prior to weaning (Brown et al, 2002).
Calf raisers are advised to assess and adapt their feeding practices to ensure adequate growth while maximizing economic benefits.
Winter-feeding in cold climatic conditions requires additional attention to ensure… Continue reading
Heifer Holstein Size Targets
The profit-making potential of the modern cow depends on her ability to combine production and type. Functional type enables a cow to produce over a long lifetime. (Holstein Canada)
Relative Emphasis for Cows
Body weight alone should not be a measure for developmental traits of heifers. Wither height is also any important measurement of skeletal development (frame and capacity). If heifers are not grown properly and do not achieve sufficient size at calving, they will not be able to take… Continue reading