Virginia Premium Assured Heifer Program

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Heifer Development
John B. Hall Extension Beef Cattle Specialist VA
Tech
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What we know about heifers

• Heifers have higher conception rates at the third
  rather than first heat
• Heifers that calve early in their first calving
  season
• Produce more pounds of beef
• Have heavier calves
• Stay in the herd longer

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Early Puberty

• Breed effects
• Nutrition
• Target Weight 65 of mature weight by breeding
• Heifers should gain 1.25 - 1.75 lbs per day from
  weaning until breeding
• Sorting into heavy and light weight groups

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Reproductive Tract Scoring System
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Reproductive Tract Scoring and Heifer Fertility
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Interaction of Calf Birth Weight and Pelvic area
of Dam
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Pelvic Areas and Dystocia

• Birth Weight of Sire Most Important Factor
• Dont Select for PA,
• Cull on PA
• PA should be no less than 140-150 sq. cm at 12
  months of age.

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Puberty Induction

• A 7 to 14 day treatment of progestin, like MGA,
  will induce puberty in heifers
• MGA jump starts the reproductive system
• Will only work on heifers that are close to
  puberty anyway
• Heifers need to be over 12 months old and RTS 2
  or 3

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Nutrition of Pregnant Heifers

• Heifers need to gain 1.5 lbs per day from
  breeding until 60-90 days before calving.
• 60-90 before calving heifers must gain 2.5 lbs
  per day
• GOAL - 90 OF MATURE WEIGHT at calving

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Heifers Must Calve in BCS 6 or Better
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Effects of Energy During Late Gestation on Calf
Growth and Survival
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Calving Management, Parturition and Dystocia

• AT 0614
• 10/09/02

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Calving Management Begins Months Before Calving

• Bull selection
• proper bull for cow size and age - BW EPD
• Pregnancy Check
• Whose pregnant whose not
• Calving date
• Cull bad legs, mouths and udders
• Separate into feeding groups
• focus on BCS 6 by calving

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Problems with thin cows at calving

• More dystocia
• Weak calves
• Poor colostrum
• Calves more likely to get sick before weaning

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Calving flow
Gestation area
Every 2 wks
Calving pasture
New pairs pasture
3 to 4 d
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Calving assistance area

• Adjacent to calving pasture
• Head gate with swing away sides
• Split side for nursing assistance
• Clean and well lit
• Maternity stall

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Stages of Parturition

• Stage 1 - early labor - 1 to 3 hours
• cow nervous, isolates herself, up down, kicks
  at flanks, tail head and area around vulva very
  relaxed
• Stage 2 - Hard labor and delivery - 1/2 to 2 hr
• usually down and pushing, membranes show, then
  feet and finally delivery
• Stage 3 - Delivery of placenta - lt 8 hours

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Management at Calving

• Check often
• cows 3 to 4 x per day
• Heifers every 2 to 3 hours
• If you see a cow calving note time then leave but
  come back in 1 hour.
• Check /Assist when in stage 2 and no progress for
  1 hour.
• Dont ever go to bed or work on a calving cow!!!

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Management at Calving

• Make sure calf nurses within 4 hours of birth
• gut closure - colostrum
• hypothermia
• scours
• Dip navel when found
• Process within 24 - 36 hours

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Management to prevent scours

• Calve in pasture different from gestation
• Colostrum!!!
• Move to clean cow free area
• special pasture or hay field
• Avoid hay rings, barns or stalls and poorly
  drained areas
• Calf sheds only in severe environments

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Management to prevent scours

• Treat and isolate calves with scours
• fluids electrolytes and energy, milk is OK
• no scours for 3 days before moving back to herd
• most antibiotics and scour cures little help
• day 1 to 7 rota virus after that e. coli
• vaccination of cows may help

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Why is Dystocia a Worry?

• Dead calves / Sick Calves
• at birth
• hypothermia - 3 x as likely
• Colostrum/Scours - 2x as likely
• Dead Cows
• Open Cows

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Dystocia

• Be ready
• calving assistance area
• calving chains, water, lube, sleeves
• calving jack
• calf warmer
• knowledge
• Experience really pays

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Dystocia

• Dont rush - analyze the situation
• Is she dilated?
• Calf position twins?
• Calf way too big hole to small
• If in doubt - get out! Call the vet
• If you cant make progress in 1/2 hour - call the
  vet.