Heifers

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Monitoring Heifer Growth

Growth Monitor Excel Spreadsheets

These spreadsheets are designed to provide flexible options for monitoring heifer growth. The manual provides instructions for using each type of file and interpreting spreadsheet results. Links to the spreadsheets in this series are provided below. Spreadsheet for Heifer Groups is now available in Spanish.

Heifer Group | Calf Group | Individual
Multiple Measurements of a Group | Average Daily Gain

• Manual for Growth Monitor Spreadsheet Series
• Monitoring Dairy Heifer Growth
• Recent Penn State research into average daily gain
  - Reprint of Hoard's Dairyman article "Is there a best growth rate for heifers?"
  - Printable version of graphs showing the optimal rate of gain in pounds or grams per day
• Charts for Plotting Heifer Growth
  - Holstein Heifers: Weight
  - Holstein Heifers: Withers Height
  - Jersey Heifers: Weight and Withers Height

Weight Tapes

Data collected by Penn State's Department of Dairy and Animal Science were used to design weight tapes that quickly estimate body weight and can help you identify underweight animals and monitor heifer growth. A Dairy Calf Tape allows you to quickly estimate the weight of young calves. This tape is more accurate than the conventional tape, because it was designed especially for calves from 80 to 282 pounds. To purchase weight tapes, visit The Coburn Company, Inc.

How to Use the Weight Tape: This brief excerpt from "Management of Dairy Heifers" contains concise directions on how to use a weight tape and measuring stick to monitor calves' growth.

Heifer Feeding and Management

• Management of Dairy Heifers
  This publication can be viewed in sections, as well:
  Part A: Genetics and breeding and Calving time
  Part B: Birth to weaning and Weaning to 6 months
  Part C: Six months to calving, Monitoring growth, Costs to raise
• Dairy Heifer Reference Guide

Economics

• Excel Spreadsheet: Costs to Raise Replacement Heifers PLEASE NOTE: UPDATED 1/9/2007
• Ag Alternatives - Dairy Heifer Production
  Includes three heifer budgets in Excel spreadsheets for large breed heifers, small breed heifers, and large breed heifers on pasture.
• Heifer Economics

Contracts and Custom Businesses

• Dairy Heifer Contracting Fundamentals

More Information

• Dairy Alliance: Business Management
• Penn State Farm Management Web Site

Labor Management

• Labor Management for Heifer Rearing