Monitoring dairy heifer growth and development will insure that calves are on target to reach a weight of 1350 pounds at calving, with a height of 54 inches at the shoulders, and a body condition score of 3.25 to a 3.5 (5 Point scale) at 24 months of age (Figure 1 ). Heifers should start lactation with a post-calving weight between 1225 and 1250 pounds; therefore, they will need to add 50 pounds of body weight per month from birth to first calving for an average daily gain of 1.8 pounds per day. Average daily gains of 1.3 pounds per day are too low because they add only 40 pounds per month, resulting in a post-calving weight of 950 pounds. By strategically feeding during specific growth phases, producers can set goals for different months of age, cut expenses, and increase profits for the dairy...

Tom Bailey and Julia M. Murphy