By the time a fresh heifer walks into the parlor, much of her future has already been shaped. Growth rate, disease pressure, breeding performance and size at first calving all stack up long before a milking unit goes on.
Michael Overton, DVM, views this stretch as an investment window that carries a high cost that doesn’t actually generate positive cash flow until the animal is sold or until it calves.
Taylor Leach captured information from Overton and Joe Armstrong, DVM, for this article. Together, the doctors brought the heifer investment picture into focus during a Dairy Calf and Heifer Association webinar. They cover the positive and negative influences that determine if the heifer becomes a dependable member of the dairy herd.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, August 10, 2026. Link. The goal is not simply to get more heifers to calving. It is to develop replacements at a pace that allows them to calve at the right age and size, stay healthy and carry that development into first and second lactation.
Once heifers reach a year old, reproduction becomes the main filter.”
Also see: Search results for: first calving, AHD Archives. Link.
INSIGHTS: Variables, variables, variables! For animal health pros working to help dairies improve revenues, this article can support several “have you thought about?” conversations, such as a) age at first calving, b) moving on from heifers who don’t conceive, and c) bunk space, pen space, and water accessibility.
Image: Link.
Leave a Reply