Heifer care more crucial than ever as prices soar

Cows and heifers are worth more today than they used to be. How much more? The USDA National Dairy Comprehensive Report for March put springing heifers at $2,920 per head. Two years before this, the price was $1,245.

It has long been best practice to look at heifers as the future of the herd and to realize that anything less than the best care can only decrease their productivity and value. These prices really bring that message home in dollars and cents.

The cost of dairy replacements is generally put at 20% of the expenses on the farm. Looking at the cost side of the equation, there has been heavy emphasis on getting heifers in production at a young age. Heifers freshening sooner decreases the number of heifers on the farm, which opens room for housing, and decreases feed needs and manure production.

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