Abstract: Impact of Raising Dairy Heifers on Dairy Farm Profitability

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Abstract Impact of Raising Dairy Heifers on
Dairy Farm Profitability This presentation
discusses how to maximize profit in a dairy
heifer enterprise. It examines the impact of age
at 1st calving and body weight on milk yield,
profit per heifer and return on investment. It
provides information on the cost of raising dairy
heifers and how to lower input costs in a heifer
program. A 4 step program to grow taller and
larger heifers using Mol-Mix Prime with Bovatec
liquid supplement is out-lined. Key points are
1. To Maximize lifetime profitability of a
Holstein heifer age at first calving should be
22-24 months, body weight should be 1350-1400
pounds, body condition score at 1st calving
should be 3.0-3.5 and height at the shoulder
should be a minimum of 55 inches. 2. Cost to
raise a heifer is 1250-1350. 3. Todays fast
growing heifers need diets with a TDN to crude
protein ratio of 41 compared to the current NRC
suggestions of 51. 4. Heifers fed Mol-Mix
Prime with Bovatec liquid supplement in a TMR or
free-choice were taller and heavier than heifers
fed Bovatec only. Target audience Dairy
producers and veterinarians. Approximate time
needed to present material 1 hour Target
response Dairy producers will use Mol-Mix Prime
with Bovatec in TMR or free-choice to raise the
protein content of heifer diets and deliver
Bovatec in a cost effective package.
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The Impact of Raising Dairy Replacements on
Dairy Farm Profitability

• Stephen M. Emanuele, Ph.D
• National Dairy Products Manager
• Westway Trading Company
• Clifton Park, NY

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Dairy Farm Business Enterprises
Dairy Enterprise
Crop Enterprise
Herd Replacement Enterprise
Goal Herd Replacement Enterprise contributes to
the profitability of the dairy farm business
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Raising Heifers Requires a Significant Investment

• Average Milk Production Costs on a New York or
  Wisconsin Dairy Farm1. Feed cost for the
  milking herd 27 - 352. Raising
  replacements 20

If your cost to produce a hundredweight of milk
is 12.00, then raising replacements will cost
you 2.40 per hundredweight of milk
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Typical Breakdown of Heifer Expenses From Birth
to Calving
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60
12.6
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Total Cost to Raise a Dairy Replacement Heifer

• Penn State (1996) 1150 - 1350
• Washington State (1996) 1150 - 1300
• Cornell Extension (1992) 1177 - 1326
• Wisconsin (1987) 1326

Goal Obtain a return on my investment of 21 by
the time the heifer is culled from the milking
herd. Heifer must make the dairy enterprise a
profit of 2250 to 2652 before she leaves the
herd.
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When will your heifers begin to pay you back for
your investment? If the cost to raise the heifer
is 1250 she will begin to show a net positive
return on investment near the end of her second
lactation (J. Heinrichs, 1996). The average
Holstein cow remains in the herd 3.4 lactation's.
This is based on an age at 1st calving of 27
months. (J. Dairy Sci. 72685). Key Point You
have approximately 1.5 lactations to return a
profit on your investment
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Assumptions on Heifer Payback

• To recover your input costs to raise heifers by
  the end of the second lactation four goals must
  be attained.1st lactation milk yield needs to
  be 16,500 pounds or greater.2. The 2nd
  lactation milk yield needs to be 18,700 pounds or
  greater3. Average age at first calving needs to
  be 23 - 24 months4. Bodyweight at 23 months of
  age needs to fall between 1300 and 1400 pounds

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For Steps To Maximize The Return on Your
Investment

• Reduce your total input cost per heifer.
• Get heifers into the milking herd sooner.
• Increase milk production in the 1st and 2nd
  lactation.
• Manage the heifer environment and feeding program
  to maximize lean growth from weaning to calving

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Step 1 Reduce total input costs by
increasing rate of gain from 8 months of age (450
lbs.) till calving.
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How Fast Can We Grow Holstein Heifers?

• Growth rates above 2 pounds/day from 200 lbs. to
  440 lbs. may decrease milk yield in the first
  lactation. (Galligan etal. 1996 NRAES Heifer
  Symposium).
• Growth rates above 1.8 pounds/day. from 200 lbs.
  to puberty depressed 1st lactation milk yield by
  10. (Akers and Sejrsen. 1996 NRAES Heifer
  Symposium)
• Growth rates above 2.2 pounds/day for a brief
  period prior to puberty increased 1st lactation
  milk yield by 14 (James. 1996 NRAES Heifer
  Symposium).
• Growth rates of 1.75 to 2 pounds per day prior to
  puberty have not depressed secretory tissue
  development (Hoffman, 1996. J. Animal Sci.)

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One Strategy for Maximum Lifetime Production
This strategy minimizes the risk of developing
fat in the udder prior to puberty. This strategy
maximizes milk yield in the first and second
lactation.
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Step 1A Reduce Total Input Cost By Using
Ionophores (Bovatec)

• Ionophores increase average daily gain and feed
  efficiency by 9 - 12
• Using Ionophores can shorten the growing period
  by 60 days.
• Ionophores cause a shift in the microbial
  population in the rumen which changes the end
  products of rumen fermentation. PROPIONATE IS
  INCREASED, METHANE PRODUCTION IS DECREASED AND
  AMINO ACID DEAMINATION IS DECREASED
• TOTAL EFFECT IS THAT THE NET ENERGY VALUE OF THE
  DIET IS INCREASED AND PROTEIN MAYBE SPARED

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Step 2 Get heifers into the milking herd
earlier by lowering age at first calving.
Effect of AFC on production and income at 48
months of age for a 25,000 ME cow
1st lactation MY 19,639 lbs., 2nd lactation MY
22,567 lbs.
Source Cady and Smith, 1996 NRAES Heifer
Symposium
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Heifer Age at Payoff Is Affected By Profit per
CWT. of Milk
Because our profit per Cwt. of milk is low it is
especially important that our heifers calve at 22
- 24 months of age.
Source Cady and Smith 1996. NRAES Heifer
Symposium
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Step 3 Maximize milk production in the 1st, and
2nd lactation
Increasing bodyweight at calving increases 1st
lactation milk yield
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Step 3 Maximize milk production in the 1st and
2nd lactation
Heifers fed to gain 2 lbs/day up to 750 lbs.
produced more milk in the 2nd and 3rd lactation
compared to heifers fed to gain 1.7 lbs/day up
to 750 lbs.
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Difficult to Weigh Heifers But Can Measure Heifer
Height
Optimum wither height at breeding (14 - 15 months
of age ) is 48 - 50 inches. Optimum wither
height at 24 months of age is 55 inches.
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If you cant weigh your heifers, then measure
their height. There is a good relationship
between heifer wither height and bodyweight.
If your heifers are 48 - 50 inches tall at 14
months of age it is likely that they will weigh
between 800 and 900 lbs.
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Step 4 Manage the feeding program to maximize
lean growth and heifer height

• Optimum body condition score at calving should be
  3.5 (Hoffman, 1996 NRAES Heifer Symposium).
• Body condition scores greater than 3.5 increases
  the probability of metabolic disease, dystocia
  and reduced milk yield
• Diets high in energy and low in protein encourage
  fat deposition and not lean growth.
• Diets high in both energy and protein encourage
  lean tissue growth.

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Protein to Energy Ratio in the Heifer Diet May
Determine the Type of Heifer Growth
Current Dairy NRC TDNCP Ratio 51 Range
4.61 to 51 Current Research Suggests a Narrower
Ratio May Enhance Heifer Growth TDNCP Ratio
41
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Current NRC Guidelines
NRC Crude Protein Guideline May Be Too Low For
Rapidly Growing Dairy Heifers
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Nutrient Guidelines for Rapidly Growing Holstein
Heifers
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• Mol Mix Prime with Bovatec
• Feeding Trials

Prime with Bovatec Energizes Dairy TMR For Taller
and Heavier Heifers.
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• Mol Mix Prime with Bovatec New York
• 1996 Trial Specifications

• Dairy Heifers between 5 and 11 months of age
  were assigned to either a control TMR or a
  Prime with Bovatec TMR.
• Prime with Bovatec was top-dressed on the control
  TMR
• Heifers were housed in the same barn and fed the
  TMR for 7 weeks.
• Each TMR exceeded current NRC recommendations for
  all nutrients except NEg.

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New York 1996 Prime with Bovatec Trial
All other nutrients were similar except for
Vitamin A and Vitamin D which were supplied in
Prime with Bovatec
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Impact of TDNCP Ratio and Prime with Bovatec on
ADG of Holstein Heifers
4.91
4.11
Using Prime with Bovatec in a diet with a TDNCP
ratio of 41 increased ADG 17
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Impact of Prime with Bovatec in a Diet with a
TDNCP Ratio on Total Weight Gain of Holstein
Heifers
4.91
4.11
Prime with Bovatec Improved Total Weight Gain by
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Impact of Prime with Bovatec in a Diet with a
TDNCP Ratio on Heifer Height
4.11
4.91
Prime with Bovatec increased heifer height by
2.6 inches over the control (9.4).
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Payback for the Dairy Operation
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1995 Mol-Mix Prime With Bovatec Feeding Trial
Eastern New York

• Heifers were split into 2 groups balanced for
  height and weight
• Both groups received a base ration
• Heifers in the treatment group received Prime
  with Bovatec through a free-choice liquid feeder
  placed in the dry lot.
• Trial lasted 90 days
• Consumption of Prime with Bovatec was 3.2 pounds
  per heifer daily.

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1995 New York Trial Diet Specifications
Control group did not contain Bovatec. Treatment
group received 256 mg of Bovatec daily from the
Prime with Bovatec liquid supplement
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Composition of Base Diet in the 1995 New York
Trial

• Corn Silage fed 1X day on a bunk
• Grass hay
• Heifer grain fed 1X and top-dressed on the corn
  silage
• Mineral available free-choice
• Prime with Bovatec available free-choice to
  treatment group in a dry lot

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Impact of Prime with Bovatec in a Diet with a
TDNCP of 41
ADG was increased 11.7 over control group Heifer
height was increased 38 over control group
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Impact of Prime with Bovatec on Total Weight
Gained in a Diet with a TDNCP Ratio of 41
Total Weight Gained was increased 11.7 compared
to control group
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Payback to Dairy Operation
Savings in Input Cost Calculated as 1.60/day X
43 days
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1996 Maryland Feeding Trial

• Heifers were split into 2 groups which were
  balanced for weight and height.
• Both groups grazed orchardgrass and clover
  pastures from July 5, 1996 through Oct 5, 1996
• Control group received a grain supplement with
  Bovatec which was fed 1X/day
• Treatment group did not receive grain but
  received Prime with Bovatec.
• The liquid supplement was fed free-choice through
  a lick wheel feeder.

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Supplement Specifications for 1996 Maryland Trial
Grain DM consumption was 2.65 lbs. Prime with
Bovatec DM consumption was 2.04 lbs.
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Estimated Nutrient Profile of Diets Fed During
the Maryland Trial
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1996 Maryland Trial
ADG was similar in both groups but Prime with
Bovatec group consumed 23 less DM from
supplement. Feed efficiency was better in the
Prime with Bovatec group compared to control
group. The change in heifer height was 13
greater in the Prime with Bovatec group.
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1996 Maryland Trial
Heifers fed a diet with a TDNCP ratio of 41
were taller at a specific bodyweight compared to
control group heifers
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Field Trials Conclusions

• Prime with Bovatec increased heifer height and
  weight compared with heifers receiving a standard
  TMR with Bovatec.
• Prime with Bovatec improved utilization of the
  entire TMR. The growth and height response
  observed in heifers required an increase in the
  supply of net energy and metabolizable protein.
• Prime with Bovatec supplied sugars,
  branched-chain organic acids, and readily
  available forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and
  sulfur which stimulated microbial protein
  production in the rumen.