Dairy heifer rearing

[Ballygreenan]

I'm curious to know at what age most of you introduce silage to your weaned heifers?

My first batch of calves this year are currently on chopped straw and ad-lib heifer nuts, they're about 3-4 months old and I'll soon be moving them from the calf house to the heifer shed and I'm wondering when to start introduction of silage. Would they grow better if they were kept on straw and nuts longer?

The plan, at this stage, is to turn them out as a leader group ahead of the milkers in April is there any benefit of feeding silage before going onto fresh grass.

I realise there will probably be as many opinions on this as members of TFF, but all views would be appreciated.

 

[Clay52]

We fed our calves silage right after weaning this year.

 

[agristudent]

Mine stay on ad lib nuts and straw until 12 weeks, then onto silage and 2kg of nuts until turnout

 

[Princess Pooper]

Autumn born heifers unchopped straw and increase up to 3kg 18% nuts/hd from 6-20 weeks then at 20 weeks silage and reduce nuts to 2kg/hd.

 

[More to life]

Straw and nuts add lib to 6 weeks then we switch to hay and add lib to 12 weeks then we restrict to 2.5 kg on hay or 2kg on silage until turn out we do move these rates up and down depending on condition and switch to barley at around 20 weeks

 

[More to life]

In respect to leaving them on straw and addlib they will motor along but at 16 weeks they will eat a you out of house and home it's not a cheap option. They say it's not good to get them fat at this age either ,as they lay it down in the udder. I'm not convinced by this but it's a commonly held opinion .

 

[Clay52]

I don't let straw anywhere near my calves.

The theory about laying down fat in the udder was from research done years ago on a poor diet low in protein and high in energy. Feed adequate protein and you won't get a fatty udder.

 

[rusty]

Mine are on straw and 2.5kg nuts until 12 weeks old then get introduced to milking cow TMR . Concentrate nuts then reduced to about 0.75kg day just to get some Deccox in them.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Start introducing silages around 12 wks and gradually move them onto a tmr.

 

[Durry cows]

Straw and corn right the way through here ideally but moving to autumn calving so straw plus 3kgs 18% til in calf at this time of year circa 15 months then on to bale silage then out to grass for their second summer to calve aug/sept/oct ideally. Straw @ £50/ton corn @£185

 

[The Agrarian]

Ours are on ad lib home made blend after weani g until I feel they are ready to go on concrete, usually around four months. Have usually accompanied the meal with the best grass silage available, but this year I happen to have a supply of leafy hay. When moving onto slats they will be on first rate silage again, but with restricted meal. I just use my eye for this - dung and condition. I like to push them at this stage, mainly aiming to get the sweet spot in the dung. With the 75D silage they are on today, about 2.5kg/hd/day top-dressed is nice. Blend is simple. Home grown lightly rolled oats and wheat, with hipro soya and hulls.

 

[kp_n_plghng]

Start introducing silages around 12 wks and gradually move them onto a tmr.

We do the same as this