BOOST CALF SURVIVAL PROTECT YOUR GENETIC INVESTMENT CHECK YES OR NO:
Lyle Kruse, vice president of U.S. market development King Smith, vice president of North America’s Select Dairy Solutions Select Sires Inc.
Has your Select Sires representative performed a ProfitMAX® genetic audit on your herd?
o YES o NO
Do you adhere to a strategic breeding program?
o YES o NO
Are you mating your lower genetic merit females to beef sires or implanting beef embryos?
o YES o NO
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you likely have less replacement heifers. Right-sizing replacement needs allows dairies to increase investment in sire selection and reveals opportunities in the beef supply chain. While this strategy adds dollars to the bottom line and accelerates genetic success, the dairy creates less heifers, therefore reducing the surplus of replacements. Increased genetic investment coupled with less replacement heifers makes calves even more valuable. It is paramount that herds have a plan to boost survival rates and keep calves healthy to maximize the number of heifers that return to the milking operation as herd replacements. Industry benchmarks The metric used to measure heifer performance is heifer non-completion rate. This is a percentage of heifers that are born on the operation but don’t calve and ultimately do not enter the milking herd. Heifers that die or are sold for health or reproductive issues are included in the non-completion rate percentage. In the last decade, heifer non-completion rates have improved, but there is still tremendous opportunity in both the genetic and management space to better these rates. Based on data provided by the Select Sires consultant team, the average non-completion rate from 326 progressive dairy operations in 20 states is 13 percent. This can be interpreted as 87 percent of all live heifer calves born are returned to the milking barn as herd replacements. The range was 4-5 percent on the low end and over 25 percent on the upper end of the data set. There is ample data to support the fact that healthy heifers that do not experience respiratory ailments develop into efficient and productive lactating cows. There is both a genetic and management approach to lowering calf mortality and morbidity to ensure that heifers reach their genetic potential as cows and return the most profit to the dairy. u
HEIFER NON-COMPLETION RATES 13% Non-Completion Rate Average
70
Average N/C Rate 13%
60 50 40 30 20 10 0
>28% 26% 24% 22% 20% 18% 16% 14% 12% 10%
8% 6% <4%
1,000-COW DAIRY LOST REVENUE BASED ON NON-COMPLETION (N/C) RATES N/C
Total Total Calves Total Heifers Replacements Lost Calving
Value
Lost Heifer Revenue
16%
860
138
722
$600
$82,560
15%
850
128
723
$600
$76,500
14%
840
118
722
$600
$70,560
13%
830
108
722
$600
$64,740
12%
820
98
722
$600
$59,040
11%
810
89
721
$600
$53,460
10%
800
80
720
$600
$48,000
9%
790
71
719
$600
$42,660
8%
780
62
718
$600
$37,440
ASSUMPTIONS: 2.4 units/live heifer calf; $30/unit for semen and $5/service for insemination Majority of replacement heifers generated from sexed semen u $3 per day for rearing, treatment and miscellaneous up to six months of age u Average mortality age is three months u Opportunity cost for lost heifers is $250 each u 1,000-cow dairy with 13 percent non-completion rate needs 830 replacement heifers in total inventory u u
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