Roadmap to 24-month first calving

Many producers are still failing to hit the two-years-old first-calving target and, speaking at Sandy park in Exeter in July, Ms Coombes explained how breaking down each stage of the heifer-rearing process into manageable, focused and integrated steps can help reverse this situation.

She stressed the need for clear and specific calving protocols as well as the importance of regularly weighing calves and setting clear growth targets. Producers and calf rearers were encouraged to commit to ‘holding back’ any pre-weaning calves that failed to double their bodyweight or consume at least 2kg of concentrate per day before being fully weaned.

During the pre-bulling period, the importance of growth targets was again reiterated, with the need for heifers to achieve 40% of mature body weight (MBW) at nine months old to ensure they are ready for bulling at between 13 and 15 months of age, at 55% MBW.

“It’s vital that producers stayed focused and not just during the first two months of the calf’s life but, at a minimum, the first six,” said Ms Coombes. “Many focus on the pre-weaning stage, but this attention drops post-weaning with a subsequent decline in performance. This approach needs to change if significant improvements in heifer growth and age at first calving are to be seen.”