how old is too old for aheifer to calve down?

whelan1

does it make any difference? most heifers here calve around 27-30 months. If you are spring calving and a heifer wasnt big enough for ai would you leave her til the next year?

reilig

whelan1 wrote: »

does it make any difference? most heifers here calve around 27-30 months. If you are spring calving and a heifer wasnt big enough for ai would you leave her til the next year?

At the discussion group meetings we have been told time and time again about the cost effectiveness of calving a heifer down at 24 months. We've seen print out after print out of how heifers calved at 24 months leave more money and statistics of how they are more fertile. We are told that if we think the heifer isn't big enough that we should put an easy calving aa on them, and give extra feed in the form of meal after they calve.

In the past, I would have calved all heifers at 30 to 32 months. If for the spring calving herd, I would calve them in late Autumn, knowing that it will take a while for them to come in heat and they will probably calve in early spring second time around.

More focused on profit now, so I am calving everything at 24 months - if the heifer isn't big enough to take bull at 15 months, then she hasn't a place here. That being said, I'm using a really easy calving aa or LIm on all heifers.

onyerbikepat

I always try and calve down the sucklers at 24 months too. Heifers need to be from the early calving cows and need to be growthy aswell. The easiest calving bull you can find and a bit of meal after calving, to get them bulling again and all should be ok.

mallethead

Usually calve down at 27-33 months
i like a them to have most of their growing done
I find its not as hard on them
Easier to get back in calf

Timmaay

Actually why is it harder to get an older heifer incalf? Does she get overfat or what? Anyways, We try to calf down everything at 2yrs, biggest hurdle to this is our spreadout calving season. If this sexed semen works, I'll block calf all dairy early in spring in future, one group, they all either calf down at 2yrs or are gone. All beef outside of that window, and out the door as calves. Hitting target weights for 2yr old calving isnt hard in my view, feed meal if needs be. Most of ours hit their weight fine for 2yr old calving, our problem last year was a good few were young (born in April/May), so we had to leave them late before they were AI'd, that was part the reason why I ended up with such a poor scan yesterday.

whelan1

Timmaay wrote: »

Actually why is it harder to get an older heifer incalf? Does she get overfat or what? Anyways, We try to calf down everything at 2yrs, biggest hurdle to this is our spreadout calving season. If this sexed semen works, I'll block calf all dairy early in spring in future, one group, they all either calf down at 2yrs or are gone. All beef outside of that window, and out the door as calves. Hitting target weights for 2yr old calving isnt hard in my view, feed meal if needs be. Most of ours hit their weight fine for 2yr old calving, our problem last year was a good few were young (born in April/May), so we had to leave them late before they were AI'd, that was part the reason why I ended up with such a poor scan yesterday.

i wasnt getting at you in this post, just interested what do spring calvers do with heifers that are not big enough to serve, very handy when you can let them go from autumn to spring calving like in our situation.

Timmaay

Hmm well its handy, but not really excusable in my view, and I certainly don't want to make it a common practice at all! I think moving forward, the UK/northern market will become much more important, Dairyfarmers have big enough scope to knock out loads of replacement heifers if they want, and even with the big increase in production when quotas go, I think we will all still be exporting alot of late calving heifers.

Zr105

One thing about calving down over the 24months is that if your heavily stocked your carrying a full livestock unit under your nitrates with no real benefit, have had home bred sucklers calving down at 24months last couple of years, but also would have had odd bought in ones at 30 months, and would see no real difference between them size wise when there back to the bull following year...

RobinBanks

I think they were saying in our discussion group that the heifers should be bulled when they hit 450kg? May need to check that figure but the emphasis was on weight rather than age

jersey101

90% of heifers here would be calved at 24-26 months. We have a few every year that are near 30 mths due to lack of grass and being born late etc. Should sort it out next year. But do find hefers calved nearer 3 are much much bigger.

grassroot1

Suppose the question should be why the heifers are not heavy enough, date of birth, genetics or management.

manjou

26 months here if heifer is not in calf by 17 months here she is gone as if they are not able to be in calf at that age there is something wrong.Will start bulling at 14 months if see them on heat.

reilig

The facts and figures for calving at 24 months:

http://www.agriland.ie/news/calving-heifers-at-24-months-explained-teagasc/

Damo810

Reading a Teagasc magazine atm. "Today's farm" July/August edition. Only 16% of heifers calve down between 22-26 months.