The First 60 Days

The health and nutrition of the dairy replacement heifer in the First 60 Days of Life have a very significant impact on her future milk production and longevity within the milking herd.

• Energy intake and colostrum management are the key priorities in the First 60 Days to influence future performance. Recent studies have indicated that additional average daily live weight gain (ADLWG) during the First 60 Days of Life will result in additional milk yield in the first lactation

• For every additional 100g of ADLWG during the First 60 Days of life, about 225kg of additional milk yield in the first lactation can be expected¹

• Pre-weaning ADLWG accounted for 22% of the variation in first-lactation milk yield²

• Growth during the First 60 Days of Life is also linked to survival to second lactation. Research shows that heifers that grew 800g/d between 12 and 65 days were more likely to reach second lactation than those that grew 700g/day³
  
  

Heifers that perform best in the First 60 Days of Life:

Survive longer Produce more milk Deliver more profit

• Growth rates are affected by genetics, nutrition and health, with pneumonia or bovine respiratory disease (BRD) the most common health problem affecting calves from 1 to 12 months of age⁴

• Vaccination is an integral part of good farm management helping optimise youngstock performance and ultimately lifetime productivity
  
  

Rispoval RS+Pi3 IntraNasal offers early and fast protection against RSV & Pi3, two of the most common causes of virus pneumonia in Ireland in 2016.⁴