Heifers, or young female cows, require careful planning and patience when introducing them to the milking herd. The page you're reading details steps to minimise stress and enhance milk production during this transition.

Successful weaning in calves relies on proper nutrition, adequate weight, and gradual transitions. It's important to ensure calves are consuming the right amount of feed and meeting their weight-for-age targets.

Feeding and nutrition play a critical role in a young heifer's development. A well-fed heifer grows more, produces more milk, and competes better with mature cows. Your heifer's diet needs sufficient energy and protein for optimal growth.

Early lactation once-a-day (OAD) milking is a short-term strategy used during the calving period. Understanding the benefits and trade-offs helps you make informed decisions for your herd and business.

An Automatic Milking System (AMS) lets cows choose when to be milked by a robotic system without human help. It has a robotic arm and an identification system. When a cow enters, it's checked if she's due for milking.

At the end of lactation, dairy cows require a dry period to allow udder tissue to repair and rejuvenate. The recommendation is that all cows are protected from mastitis during the dry period.

Body Condition Score (BCS) is a critical element in managing the health and reproduction of your dairy herd. It's essential to maintain BCS targets, as too thin or too fat cows can negatively affect reproductive performance.

Maize silage is a high-quality forage supplement made by ensiling maize crops in stacks or bunkers, used to supplement pasture. This silage has notably low levels of sodium, calcium, and phosphorus, making it a useful carrier to supplement magnesium.

Heifer grazing involves estimating your farm's ability to support the growth of dairy heifers to meet their target weights. It's important to evaluate the number of heifers your land can sustain based on the amount and quality of pasture.

The design of the milking bail, pipework, and pit in dairy farming is crucial for the safety and comfort of both cows and workers. This page outlines ways to ensure optimal cow flow and worker efficiency in the milking process.

The teat cup liner is the part of the milking machine that touches the cow's teat, significantly affecting milking performance, udder and teat health.

Maximising pasture growth is key to increasing your dairy farm's profitability. To do this, you need to identify the lowest producing paddocks and understand their potential by comparing them with the best ones.

Dry matter is a crucial dietary requirement for dry cows. This page outlines the energy a cow needs, considering its weight gain or loss. The feed requirement considers the cow's maintenance, pregnancy, and weight gain.

During the transition from dry to milking cows, it's crucial to manage their health effectively to ensure their reproductive performance, production, and longevity aren't compromised.

Clover root weevil (CRW) is a pest that affects clover, a vital plant in many pastures. This weevil, first detected in Waikato and Auckland in 1996, can be found year-round but is most plentiful in summer.

Tail management is crucial in dairy farming to ensure animal welfare and a positive working environment. Tail injuries can cause pain and impact how cows communicate.

Comparative Stocking Rate (CSR) is a tool to measure the balance between feed demand and supply on a farm. It is determined by calculating the amount of livestock weight per hectare versus the annual feed available.

Successful heifer mating is essential for their productive future. Targets include reaching puberty at 12-13 months, conceiving by 13-15 months, and being of adequate weight at calving.

Managing high-quality pasture during feed surplus periods is a crucial skill in pasture management. This page explains that pasture surplus often develops in spring, which if unmanaged, can lead to low-quality pasture affecting milk production.

If you experience issues with somatic cell count, have a number of clinical cases, or rough teat conditions are persistent, professional help should be sought.