Rispoval RS+Pi3 IntraNasal

Heifers that perform best in the First 60 Days of life

• Survive longer
• Produce more milk

=>Deliver more profit

The First 60 Days in the life of a replacement dairy heifer are key to maximise lifetime productivity.

1. Growth during the First 60 Days of life is positively correlated with survivability to second lactation²
2. Additional average daily gain (ADG) during the First 60 days = Additional milk yield in the first lactation³
3. Priorities for future performance = Energy intake pre-weaning and colostrum management⁴

1. Early Growth & Survivability: (Bach 2011²)

• Average Daily Gain (ADG) during the First 60 Days of life was linked with survivability to second lactation
• Heifers that reached second lactation grew more (0.8kg/d) between 12 and 65 days than those that did not (0.7kg/d)
• No effect was found between ADG after first breeding and survivability to second lactation

2. Early Growth & Milk Yield:( Bach 2012³)

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

(This is an average figure of 7 studies)

3. Priorities for The First 60 Days: (Soberon 2012⁴)

• Energy intake pre-weaning along with colostrum management have the greatest impact on future performance
• Pre-weaning Average Daily Gain accounted for 22% of the variation in first-lactation milk yield
• Increased growth rate before weaning results ‘in some form of epigenetic programming that is yet to be understood, but has positive effects on lactation milk yield’

Heifers that perform best in the First 60 Days of life

• Survive longer
• Produce more milk

=>Deliver more profit

• As the number of respiratory cases a heifer experiences increases, her productive life diminishes: Heifers suffering more than 4 cases have an average of 100 days less productive life²
• Pneumonia in young dairy calves costs an average of €53⁸per case at time of disease (treatment costs, time etc.)
• Pneumonia in dairy calves pre-weaning has been shown to reduce 1st lactation yield by 4%¹⁰  and to reduce 2nd lactation yield by 8%¹⁰

• Heifer rearing represents up to 20% of farm expenses¹
• €1500 average cost to calve a heifer at 24 months¹
• Age at first calving determines return on investment

Cows with a longer life and higher production =>Increased farm profit + More sustainable production

1.Moorepark data: Emer Kennedy & Laurence Shaloo 2011

2.Bach 2011 Associations between several aspects of heifer development and dairy cow survivability to second lactation

3.Bach 2012 Nourishing and managing the dam and postnatal calf for optimal lactation, reproduction, and immunity

4.Soberon 2012 Preweaning milk replacer intake and effects on long-term productivity of dairy calves

5.Wathes 2008: Factors influencing heifers survival and fertility

6.Meale2012: Strategies to reduce greenhouse gases from ruminant livestock

7.All Island Disease Surveillance 2014 8.Andrews 2000 CATTLE PRACTICE VOL 8 PART 2 Calf Pneumonia Costs

9.Van Der Fels-Klerx 2002 Effects of bovine respiratory disease on the productivity of dairy heifers quantified by experts

10.Morrison 2011 Calf management for lifetime Performance: Effect of pneumonia – pre-weaning