A36-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 11,1989
BY USA RISSER
LANCASTER Raising heif
ers is often the second largest cost
on a dairy farm. Farmers whose
heifers freshen later than at 24
months of age are spending more
money than they have to, accord
ing to Aiyln J. Heinrichs,associate
professor of dairy science.
“Increasing the age of calving
can cost $5O to $BO per animal,” he
told farmers who attended the sec
ond day of Lancaster Dairy Days
this week. “The age of calving is
where the profitability of raising
heifers comes in.”
The average age of calving for
Pennsylvania dairy heifers is about
26 and a half months. “The aver
age farm with heifers that freshen
at 26 months spends about $2,025
to $3,240 per year due to poor
replacement, feeding, and
management.”
Some farmers increase calving
age because they know older heif
ers produce more milk. “The older
heifers do produce more milk, but
there’s not much of a difference (in
milk production). Twcnty-four
month-old heifers produced slight
ly below 14,000 pounds while
26-month-old heifers produced
slightly more than 14,000
pounds.”
Calves from 27 to 32 months of
age produced just about the same
amount of milk as 26-month-olds,
he added. A similar increase
occurred in butterfat production.
Heinrich estimated that the out
of-pocket cost of feeding a
1,000-pound heifer that is gaining
1.5 pounds per day is about $34.80
a month.
“If your feeding costs are
$34.80 per month, to hold a heifer
until 25 months (of age before
calving), the increased milk from
this older heifer must be at least
$34.80,” he said. “When I looked
at the feed prices of raising heifers,
23 months was the break-even
point People raising 25-, 26-, or
27-month-old heifers are losing
money.”
Decreasing the age of calving
means taking a look at the opera
tion’s current replacement-heifer
program. “But you can’t work on
your program without monitor
ing,” Heinrich stated. “Look at
your heifers’ growth rate.”
A weight tape is a fairly accurate
measurement tool, according to
Heinrichs. Charts are available
Regulate Manure Usage
(Continued from Pago At)
however, a similiar one has been
re-introduced.
Fanners in townships that adopt
the sample manure ordinance, or
one similar to it, would be required
to submit a nutrient-management
plan to the township before
expanding a current operation or
beginning a new one. If the plan is
approved, the farmer would
receive a permit
Expansion, according to the
sample ordinance, can be an
increase in the number of animals
when the ordinance went into
effect, an increase in the base num
ber on the nutrient-management
plan, or when, in one month’s
time, the herd is 10 percent or more
larger than the average from the
last five years.
Nutrient-management plans can
be drawn up by the conservation
district or Penn State extension
agents with soil samples, yield
goals, and the results of a manure
test.
“It’s not costing anything at this
point (to have a plan drawn up)l*’
said Heistand. “Buftf it becomes a
Calving Older Dairy Heifers Doesn’t Pay
from Penn State and extension
offices that match ages with
weights. Height also is an impor
tant measurement because it indi
cates the heifer’s skeletal growth.
“Don’t rely on the weight tape
exclusively,” Heinrichs warned,
“you might just have fat, short
heifers.”
He also advised looking at heif
ers from other herds such as at
shows. “If you don’t gel out and
see other animals, you may not
know what a young, healthy heifer
looks like.”
If a farmer notices that his heif
ers are calving past 24 months,
feeding should be the first area of
concern. Calves that are six
months older or younger could be
receiving improper nutrition
because they’re not drinking
enough milk or milk rcplacer; the
milk or milk replaccr is being
diluted; low nutrient content of the
grain mixture; improper age when
grain and forage are fed; improper
types of forages fed; low intakes of
grain and forage; or poor water
quality or availability.
Hand in hand with good nutri
tion for young calves is starting the
rumen functioning as soon as pos
sible. “Grain and forage are most
critical at this young age,” Hein
rich said. “Get the rumen function
ing by limiting the milk fed at 10
percent of body weight maximum
on Day 2. And a maximum of 10
percent of body weight of milk
should be fed by weaning day. As
the calf’s appetite increases,
increase the amount of grain and
forage; at the same time increase
the water supply, which encour
ages greater grain and forage
intake.”
Heinrichs recommended wean
ing at three to eight weeks;
whenever the cal I is eating 1 to 1.5
pounds per day of concentrate
because it is at this time that they
will not lose weight duo to wean
ing. They may not gain weight, but
they won’t lose weight.
At 12 months, a heifer may not
be gaining because of a lack of
quality forage or a low forage
intake, a poorly balanced ration,
and low water quality or limited
water availability.
lonophores such as Bovalcc or
Rumensin have been proven to
increase the energy efficiency of
an animal by 5 to 8 percent. In
other words, it belter utilizes feed
state law, it could cost you.”
Nutrient-management plans
often involve building manure
storage or changing the farm’s
configuration to avoid barnyard
runoff. The cost of some of the
changes required in a nutrient
management plan, as well as soil
conservation practices, can be
shared by LCCD conservation dis
tricts. Cost sharing plans include
permanent vegetative cover, 50
percent of average cost; animal
waste management system, 50 per
cent of average cost; stripcropping
and contour fanning system, 80
preent of actual cost up to a maxi
mum cost share of $8 per actre and
50 percent of obstruction removal
cost; diversion system, 75 percent
of average cost; waterway system,
75 percent of average cost; stream
protection system, 50 percent of
average cost; sediment retention
and erosion or water control’struc
tures, 50 percent of average cost;
soil and manure analysis, 80 per
cent of actual dost approved by dis
trict; and excess manure transpor
tation, percentage determined by
district
lor growth. “If you use an iono
phore, you can feed less of'a ration
and maintain the same growth or
feed the same ration and improve
growth,” Heinrichs said.
The average rate of gains for
dairy heifers is 1.7 pounds at six
(Continued from Page A 3)
in the day linked to cash market
weakness and sluggish fed cattle
sales. Reports that fed cattle trade
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months and 12 months and 1.4
pounds at 18 months.
Heinrichs challenged the far
mers not monitoring their replace
ment herd to go home and weigh
six heifers: two six-monlh-olds,
two 12-month-olds, and two
18-month-olds. “Weigh them
in the Texas Panhandle was at a
standstill fueled additional selling
interest along with expectations
for lower cut values and light box
ed beef movement. The discount
Aitures hold to cash supported
along with light commodity f und
buying. Spillover weakess from
live cattle along with another 21
point loss in the cash index pres
sured feeders to close 17 to 40
points lower.
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today and one month from today
reweigh them and figure out their
rate of gain,” he directed. “If their
rale of gain isn’t close (to the fig
ures above) by one-tenth of a
pound, I’d be concerned that they
won’t calve on lime.”
CME FEEDER CATTLE SET
TLEMENT PRICE: 03/04/89
-$82.35 03/03/89 -$82.56.
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session was featureless with pres
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cash hog prices and lower than
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