Is S.H.E Good Enough?
There is a critical need for prioritising the growth and development of dairy replacements in New Zealand. In this
document you’ll discover:
- Key challenges and market demands
- Evidential insights into effective herd management practices
- Actionable solutions for achieving successful herd entry (SHE) and maximising profitability
The dairy industry is New Zealand’s largest business enterprise, characterized by a unique cooperative structure that benefits individual dairy farmers by providing reliable cash flow and reducing the risk associated with receivables management.
However…
Dairy farmers are “price takers,” meaning they have little influence over the farm gate price of their products.
To achieve profitability, it is essential to focus on efficient production management.
Contents
Author: Ian Wickham
Founder of NZ Grazing
Farming for 65 years
Part One
The Problem
Dairy herd replacements, particularly Rising 2-year heifers, are crucial for maintaining herd productivity. Despite the investment in genetic improvement, many heifers fail to achieve a Successful Herd Entry (SHE), leading to significant economic losses.
Factors Affecting Heifer Quality
Genetic Factors: The genetic traits inherited from parents determine a heifer’s potential suitability for the dairy system.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
Environmental Factors: The environment, from conception through weaning to herd entry, plays a critical role in the development of a healthy and productive heifer. For seasonal herds, this includes the date of birth because late born calves propagate the prolonged calving season another generation.
Indicators of Successful Herd Entry (S.H.E) Pre Herd Entry:
Achieving target live weight by 20 months and maintaining it until calving
Integrating into the herd with minimal social stress and no disease.
Becoming pregnant within six weeks from the start of their first mating.
We observe a common herd management tactic known as “Split Herd” where the youngest (plus maybe the thinnest) cows are run separately to the main herd(s) and the amount of feed offered to the young cows is increased. The reason for this practice is usually given as “The heifers need to be looked after and fed more” or words to that effect.
Given that this group needs to keep growing AND produce milk AND get pregnant as quickly as possible AND if they are co-mingled with mature cows as “new girls” they are likely to be ‘bullied’ socially. How often does one witness these young animals being at the back of the yards and last through the milking shed and last out to fresh pasture!
Where the practice of different feeding and management is applied for different groups of cows within the herd and this information is not communicated to the herd recording organisation, then the resulting within-herd comparisons of cows will be biased and that bias will also be apparent in the national Breeding Worth rankings since it is the within-herd differences that drive the “national rankings”.
Post Herd Entry
The ideal scenario for post herd entry is to:
Achieve a second pregnancy within six weeks of the main herd start of mating.
More closely approach the milksolids production of 5-year-old cows by the end of the first lactation.
NZ Dairy Statistics 2022 – 2023
Page 37 shows the following table.
HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN/JERSEY CROSSBREED
| Age | Cows tested | Days in milk | Milk (litres) | Milkfat (kg) | Protein (kg) | Milksolids (kg) | Milkfat (%) | Protein (%) | Milksolids (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 146,616 | 249 | 3,708 | 188.4 | 148.7 | 337.2 | 5.13 | 4.03 | 9.15 |
| 3 | 151,705 | 243 | 4,519 | 204.9 | 180.9 | 405.6 | 5.01 | 4.01 | 9.02 |
| 4 | 137,102 | 241 | 4,981 | 241.9 | 197.8 | 439.7 | 4.90 | 3.98 | 8.88 |
| 5 | 116,098 | 240 | 5,186 | 252.4 | 194.2 | 457.3 | 4.91 | 3.96 | 8.87 |
| 6 | 91,820 | 237 | 5,172 | 250.6 | 203.9 | 454.6 | 4.88 | 3.95 | 8.84 |
| 7 | 68,237 | 234 | 5,118 | 248.2 | 200.7 | 448.9 | 4.88 | 3.93 | 8.82 |
| 8 | 49,872 | 232 | 4,955 | 241.9 | 194.2 | 436.1 | 4.91 | 3.93 | 8.84 |
| 9 | 31,566 | 229 | 4,809 | 233.9 | 186.8 | 420.8 | 4.89 | 3.90 | 8.79 |
| 10+ | 32,516 | 223 | 4,413 | 213.7 | 169.0 | 382.7 | 4.87 | 3.84 | 8.71 |
| Total | 825,532 | 240 | 4,701 | 230.8 | 186.1 | 416.9 | 4.96 | 3.97 | 8.93 |
This shows crossbred Age 2 at 337 kg milksolids and Age 5 at 457 kg milksolids. The Age 2 is therefore producing only 74% milksolids than that of the Age 5.
In other words, 120 kilograms of milksolids less than their older herd mates!
In NZ the national herd genetic gain for milksolids production is in the order of an additional one percent per annum. Consequently Age 2 are genetically three percent improved over Age 5.
Your heifers have the potential to produce more milksolids – why are they not?
Recent Scientific Research Concludes
We found a positive curvilinear relationship between body weight and milk production in both the first-lactation and the total of the first 3 lactations. Heifers that were heavier produced more milk than heifers that were lighter, regardless of breed group. Consequently, for heifers that had average and below average body weight, there would be considerable milk production benefits over the first 3 lactations by improving rearing practices to result in heavier heifers throughout the precalving rearing phase.
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 102 No. 5, 2019
Dr Rhiannon Handcock. PhD. B.Sc Animal Science and Agriculture. Postdoctoral fellow at the Al Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding.
Accumulated milksolids production response
To a 20-kilogram increase in weight for FJ heifers
Predicted accumulated milksolids production of Holstein-Friesian-Jersey crossbreed (FJ) heifers of different weights at 12 to 21 months of age.
Do heavier heifers survive longer in the herd?
A measure of cow survival that does not require super accurate recording of cull data is called stayability. Stayability is defined as the probability (or chance) of a cow surviving to each calving year given that she calved the year before.
Key Point
In general, the crossbred cows (FX, FJ and JX) had better stayability than the full breeds (F and J).
Heifers that were heavier were more likely to remain in the herd for successive calvings compared with heifers that were lighter.
For the majority of heifers in NZ, being ‘too heavy’ is unlikely to be an issue, whereas, being ‘too light’ is of much greater concern.
What does this all mean?
“I will leave you with my favourite saying from my 5.5 years of studying NZ dairy heifers…Bigger, bigger, bigger!”
Dr R.C Handcock
Part Two
Developing a Solution
In the late 1980s, the concept of ‘Off-Farm Grazing’ or ‘Dairy Support’ was introduced by the writer to improve the growth and development of dairy heifers. By moving non-lactating animals to dry stock Grower farms, dairy farmers can also increase the feed available for the lactating herd, thereby enhancing overall productivity.
A general benchmark is that it takes about 12 to 15 kilograms of DM (dry matter) to produce one kilogram of milksolids and with milksolids payout at $8 then each kg of DM on a dairy farm has a value of about $0.55 to $0.65.
Dairy Support feed is purchased at about half that value at about $0.30 kg DM, and so it is profitable to move the replacements from the dairy farm to a dry stock farm where the day to day husbandry is included in that cost and this appears to be the main reason nearly all dairy managers choose to “put their heifers out” – cheaper feed and less work!
In the late 1980s the standard of growth and development of heifers by dairy farmers was very low by the standards of today with recommended body weight targets at 24 months of age being; Jersey 280 kg and Friesian 380kg (Crossbred 330 but there were few of those unpopular animals) Those targets were more than 100 kgs lighter than current industry targets.
There was a perception that the best grazing depended on how low you could negotiate the cost price! And of course the grazier wanted to take NO RESPONSIBILITY!
However, when our company started to weigh those heifers, virtually all were below those previous targets. Even very modest improvements in heifer body weight impressed dairy farmers when the heifers came back from ‘grazing’.
This focus on the price of grazing (feed) rather than the value of growing bigger heifers by better utilising more of the low cost feed has impaired the opportunity throughout the industry for increased profitability from bigger heifers.
The Problem with Traditional Grazing Contracts
Traditional grazing contracts often lack accountability and performance standards, leading to inconsistent results in heifer
development. The industry has recognised the need for standards and better monitoring of growth and live weight targets. Most individual dairy farmers have not yet recognised the advantage of fully growing rising 2 year old heifers before herd entry.
Growing Bigger Heifers to Lower Carbon Emissions in New Zealand Dairy
Growing bigger heifers in New Zealand’s dairy industry is a key strategy to reduce carbon emissions, aligning with the demands of our global customers. By increasing cow productivity, we can produce more milk per animal, thus lowering the carbon footprint per kilogram of milk. This approach enhances efficiency and profitability and ensures that New Zealand remains competitive, particularly as European and North American farms, with higher per-cow productivity, continue to adopt advanced technologies to reduce their emissions. Bigger heifers mean more milk with less environmental impact.
The Market Demands It
The following is extracted from an article in New Zealand Farmers Weekly – August 2024.
Nestlé global procurement category lead for dairy, Bruno Spire said: “New Zealand has low emissions but not the lowest… Our projections are showing that European and North American [farmers] have more opportunities to significantly reduce their emissions. “In order to remain attractive, I believe the dairy industry in New Zealand must tackle this problem, but the good thing is that there are solutions.” Spire said that per-cow efficiency and productivity is the biggest opportunity for New Zealand to reduce its carbon emissions “A big chunk of that comes from better cow nutrition”, he said. “Not only will they reduce their emissions and remain attractive to Nestlé, but they can also generate more revenue to make them more resilient to price volatility as well.”
Average annual milk production per cow and carbon footprint per litre of milk
New Zealand
Europe
Simply put, achieving greater productivity per heifer is key to meeting market demand for carbon reduction whilst also increasing profitability for NZ farmers.
Research on Heifer Growth Rate in New Zealand
Research in New Zealand supports the notion that increased growth rates in dairy heifers can result in lowered health issues. The studies often emphasise that optimal growth, particularly in the pre-weaning and early post-weaning periods, is crucial for long-term health and productivity.
Early Life Nutrition
Research from DairyNZ and other agricultural research institutions in New Zealand highlights that calves fed higher levels of milk or milk replacer during the pre-weaning period tend to grow faster and have better health outcomes. This includes lower incidences of diseases like respiratory issues and scours, which are common in undernourished calves.
Impact on Reproductive Health
Studies have shown that heifers that grow at an optimal rate and reach breeding weight earlier tend to have fewer reproductive issues. They often have earlier conception dates, reducing the number of services per conception and leading to a more compact calving season, which is beneficial for overall herd management.
Reduced Metabolic Disorders
Heifers that grow steadily without periods of undernutrition are less likely to experience metabolic disorders later in life. Research indicates that well-grown heifers have lower incidences of conditions like ketosis and milk fever when they enter the milking herd, contributing to longer productive lifespans
Long-term Productivity
Studies from New Zealand also suggest that heifers that achieve target weights by the time they enter the milking herd are more productive over their lifetimes.
Sustainability and Efficiency
Aligning with the focus on sustainability, research has shown that well-grown heifers have better feed conversion efficiency and are more resilient to environmental stresses. This reduces the need for interventions and aligns with the goals of sustainable farming practices, as healthier animals require fewer resources and produce less waste.
Above L to R: NZG Service Manager Aaron Leppard, Josh, Kevin & Ros Firth.
”We’ve been using New Zealand Grazing for our heifer management since the 1990s, and their service has always been exceptional.
A few years ago, we decided to try another supplier, but it didn’t take long to realise how much we missed the reliability and quality of NZ Grazing.
Their attention to detail and the care they put into our animals is unmatched. We quickly returned to NZ Grazing, knowing that our heifers thrive best under their care.”
Firth Family
Read more about the Firth and Ingram family success under Case Studies on our website.
Read more about the Firth and Ingram family success under Case Studies on our website.
Part Three
Achieving a Profitable Solution by Focusing on Value
New Zealand Grazing Company Ltd (NZG) offers a comprehensive solution for improving heifer development. By removing heifers from the dairy platform and placing them on dry stock farms with closely monitored and managed development, NZG adds significant value over and above the small extra investment involved.
Our added value is based upon these 3 key principles
S
Security: Are your heifers going to be looked after to the high standard of husbandry required? How many will go missing or die? Will they be mated to your required specification?
H
Help (or Convenience): Will you have to keep ‘Running Off’ to keep an eye on them, drench them, shift them, weigh them and/or try to keep a Grazier up to the mark, or will help do this for you?
E
Economics: This is all about dollars! For best results in this regard, it is more important to think in terms of investment rather than cost. Cheap grazing is more likely to be the least profitable option. Because off-dairy farm pasture is lower cost than on-dairy farm pasture or supplement, it is too easy to focus on a low cost option rather than an option that will maximize the volume of that off-dairy farm pasture to achieve high liveweight growth, increase first lactation milksolids production and enhance subsequent reproductive results.
When ALL factors are a high standard then a S.H.E will result.
A Successful Herd Entry is the vision and focus of NZ Grazing Company Ltd to ensure that all parties achieve profitable results. Our Company provides Security, Help and Economic profit to protect your investment in your dairy herd.
Our difference is your benefit:
Separate Contracts for Growers and Owners:
Ensures fair treatment and clear responsibilities.
Proprietary Modeled Dry Matter (MDM) System:
Accurately models nutritional intake and ensures fair payment based on growth results.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs):
Provides consistent and high-standard management.
Monthly Weighing and Performance Incentives:
Motivates growers to achieve optimal growth results.
Seasonal Pasture-Based Data Management:
Management: Enables effective handling of adverse events.
NZG offers a proven, value-focused approach to dairy heifer development, ensuring that heifers reach their full genetic potential earlier and contribute to a more profitable dairy operation.
By investing in better management and development practices, dairy farmers can achieve significant long-term benefits.
Take Action
Contact your local NZ Grazing manager. We can help you achieve a more profitable and sustainable dairy operation.