Top tips for a smooth heifer transition into the calving herd

Reducing the number of milking heifers leaving the herd before their 2nd lactation can make a big difference to your bottom line.

Minimising issues caused by stress and disease gives heifers the best opportunity to calve down for a 2nd time.

As well as reducing costs - rearing heifers is the second largest annual expense after feed – it will improve herd longevity and your carbon footprint. 

Here are our top tips for transitioning heifers:

1. Train heifers to the parlour
2. Make sure your calving pen is in a quiet place
3. Give them pain relief after calving
4. Monitor for clinical and sub-clinical milk fever, ketosis and displaced abomasum 21-30 days post calving
5. Maintain dry matter intake during transition
6. Monitor body condition score and rumen fill
7. Allow sufficient feed space and push-up feed at least 4-6 times per day
8. Allow adequate lying space of at least one cubicle per heifer / 10 m2 in loose yard
9. Minimise group changes in order to reduce social stress
10. Make sure your heifers are not lame

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