Analysis of the management and costs associated with rearing pregnant dairy heifers in the UK from conception to calving
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Date
2015-10-16
Open Access Location
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Publisher
Scientific Research Publishing
Rights
Copyright © 2015 by authors
and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY)
Abstract
Good management of the pregnant heifer is crucial to ensure that she is well grown and healthy
and calves down easily before joining the milking herd. This study collected primary data on all
aspects of heifer management on 101 UK farms during heifer pregnancy from conception to calving
including farm factors and associated costs of system inputs. A cost analysis workbook was
developed to calculate the cost of rearing per heifer for each of the study farms. Associations between
cost of rearing and farms factors were determined using linear regression and analysis of
variance. Heifers had a mean age of conception of 509 d (range 365 - 700 d) and an age at first
calving of 784 d (range 639 - 973 d). The mean total cost of rearing during pregnancy was £450.36
(range £153.11 to £784.00) with a mean daily cost of £1.64 (range £0.56 to £2.86). The inputs contributing
the most to cost were feed (32.7%), labour (23.8%) and slurry disposal (11.2%). Total
purchased and homegrown feed and grazing contributed between 25.5% and 65.4% of total costs
with a mean contribution of 43.6%. The cost of rearing was lowest in spring calving herds and
highest in all year round calving herds with intermediate values in autumn and multi block calving
herds. The main variables influencing the cost were the number of days spent at grass, age at first
calving, calving pattern, breed, herd size and region. Each extra day in age at first calving increased the mean cost of rearing during pregnancy by £0.33/d whereas every extra day at grass reduced the cost by £1.75/d.
Description
Keywords
Heifer, Cost analysis, Pregnancy
Citation
Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 2015, 5 (4), pp. 474 - 485 (11)