Criteria that define optimum body size of replacement heifers are required by commercial dairy producers to evaluate replacement heifer management programs. Historically recommended body size criteria have been based on live BW measurements. Numerous research studies have observed a positive relationship between BW at first calving and first lactation milk yield, which has served as the impetus...

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that the 5 d Co-Synch + CIDR (Controlled Internal Drug Release insert containing progesterone) protocol could be applied as an efficient timed AI (TAI) protocol in dairy heifers, and that treatment with flunixin meglumine (FM) during the period of CL maintenance would increase pregnancy per TAI (P/TAI) and late survival of embryos. Objective...

The National Johne’s Demonstration Herd Project (NJDDHP) in the United States was initiated to evaluate the long-term feasibility and effectiveness of management-related practices designed to control Johne’s disease on dairy and beef cattle operations. The NJDDHP began in 2003 and includes 62 dairy herds and 20 beef herds in 17 states. All herds began with culture-confirmed Mycobacterium avium ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a feed additive (OmniGen-AF(®), reported to have immune modulating activity) on innate immunity and health events during the periparturient period in dairy heifers when immunity is suppressed. From 60 days prepartum through calving, supplemented heifers (n=20) received OmniGen-AF(®) daily and were compared with unsupplemented controls (n=2...

Raising dairy heifers from birth to calving has been found to comprise the second largest expense on the dairy farm towards the production of milk (Heinrichs, 1993) and therefore require a reasonably high level of attention on a commercial dairy farm. The focus of this paper will be feedstuffs, in particular limiting forages for the development of the rumen in the neonate, as well as a possible...

Dairy heifers had an estimated grazed pasture intake of either 11.8 (H) or 6.0 (L) kg DM/heifer/day for four weeks in early lactation and a common pasture allowance thereafter. Group L produced less milk (2202 vs. 2433 R) and milk protein (75.0 vs. 81.6 kg) than Group H in 31 weeks but milk fat yield (104.9 vs. 109.8 kg) and milk composition were not significantly affected. All heifers lost bod...

To clarify fermentative alterations in the large intestine (hindgut) during grazing, fecal alcohol and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentrations were evaluated in 30 dairy heifers. The heifers were kept in pasture growing mixed grass herbage from spring (mid May) until October, and their rectal feces were collected periodically. Concentrations of ethanol, methanol and isopropanol were increase...

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feed delivery method on growth, feeding competition, feeding, and sorting behavior of dairy heifers. Thirty-two Holstein heifers (146.2+/-21.9 d of age) were divided into 8 groups of 4 and exposed to 1 of 2 feed delivery treatments for 13 wk. The treatment rations contained 65% grass/alfalfa haylage and 35% textured concentrate (on a d...

Although interest in beef-on-dairy breeding strategies is intensifying, little actually known of the performance differences between beef-sired male and female progeny dairy cows. The objective was therefore to use a large cross-sectional database up 1,389,670 animals investigate if existed generated from matings; focus on characteristics both producer (i.e., gestation length, calving performan...

Oestrous intensity is positively associated with reproductive outcome in high-Abstract This study tested whether strong oestrus symptoms are linked to low lameness score, acceptable pregnancy and calving rates in heifers and first parity dairy cows with a high genetic potential for milk production. In a single Swedish nucleus herd for genetic selection and testing, oestrous intensity was determ...