The Rural Voice, 1993-12, Page 55Early calving pays
A recent Ontario DHIC report
indicated the average age of first calf
dairy heifers was 29 months.
Raising healthy, productive, early
calving heifers should be a primary
goal of every producer. Research has
shown heifers calving at 24 months of
age are more profitable. In fact,
heifers not fresh by two years of age
can cost as much as $4/day until
calving. The extra profit comes from
lower labour, feed and overhead costs,
while increasing lifetime production
and genetic improvement.
Let's examine the financial impact
of calving heifers at 29 months versus
24 months:
29 months - 24 months = 150 days
150 days x $4.00/day = $600/heifer
In an operation with 20 heifers
entering the herd annually this
represents $12,000 — a sizable reason
for focusing on "heifer management".
A 1993 Holstein Heifer Study done
in Huron county indicated total costs
to raise a heifer from birth to 24
months is nearly $1,400. Although
feed is the big expense (approximately
50 per cent), there are other costs such
as labour, housing, breeding, vet and
medicine, interests and death loss. All
these items have a dollar value and
should be considered when analyzing
your heifer rearing program.
In addition, a first calving at 24
months of age will provide for the
highest milk production per day of life
according to a research done by Dave
Kelton, Kerry Lissemore and Neil
Petreny.
The average age at first calving
here in Ontario was 29 months in
1992. At that age milk per day of life
is 12.5 kilos. But at 24 months of age
milk per day reaches 13.2 kilos — a
five per cent increase in milk
production.
According to Kelton, a 1 kg differ-
ence extended over 3 lactations would
result in an increased production of
1,800 kilos of milk. Using a milk
price of $55 per hectolitre this is equal
to about $1,000 more profit per
animal. The above results are based
on both official and unofficial Ontario
DHI reports which included more than
81,000 animals with at least 3
lactations (Holstein breed).0
Advice
Video -based course
in marketing ready
for registrants
Individuals, with an eye towards
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University of Guelph's Independent
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Entrepreneurs about to launch, and
people already operating going con-
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Through this course, those interested
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Registrants will see interviews
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Study. The Small Rural Enterprise
certificate of achievement is provided
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assignments in each course. Tuition
is $195 and includes three videos and
a course manual. Both Marketing for
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course, Managing Small Rural
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towards the Ontario Diploma in
Horticulture or the Ontario Diploma
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For more information on the
Independent Study Program, contact
Independent Study, University of
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800-263-4499.0
Forage testing for
1993-94 season
Forage testing is a widely accept-
ed, and widely used management
practice on dairy farms. Forage test-
ing is definitely a good investment.
When you consider that feed costs
are the single biggest variable cost in
the dairy operation, $100 to $200 for
proper forage analysis is a good
investment. Much of the widespread
use of feed testing is due to the
diligent efforts of feed salespeople,
consultants and veterinarians who
realize that regular, accurate analyz-
ing of feed means healthier, higher
producing cows and more efficient
production, more profit for the
owner/client. Forage analyzing tips:
• Sample all major feedstuffs used
in the ration. Different groups of hay
should be tested separately (first cut
grass, alfalfa, second cut, etc.).
• Sample corn silage for analysis.
Corn silage is not as a rule that
variable, but it makes up 30 to 40 per
cent of the forage component of the
diet on some farms, or at some time
during the feeding season. Analysis
could mean savings in protein costs.
• What tests to run? Dry matter,
crude protein, acid detergent fibre
(ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF),
calcium, phosphorus, magnesium,
and potassium.
Proteins: Some labs give soluble
protein estimates. If you suspect heat
damage in storage, request ADF-N or
bound protein to determine how
much protein is useful to the cow.
Minerals: Some computer programs
balance for manganese, copper and
zinc. It makes sense to analyze for
these trace minerals if they are going
to be included in the calculations.
Selenium is an important element in
dairy rations. An analysis is very
expensive and not commonly done.
We normally assume our local
forages contain essentially zero level
of selenium and balance rations
accordingly.
Lab Services: There is a list of
accredited labs available in the local
OMAF office. DHI offers an
excellent and economical service for
analyzing forage. Many feed
companies offer very attractive deals
for feed analysis and ration balan-
cing. In choosing a lab, reliability,
turn -a -round and providing the range
of tests required are important factors
to consider.0
Blair Murray
Dairy Cattle Specialist
DECEMBER 1993 51