BRIEF COMMUNICATION: Do different grazing strategies affect pre-weaning calf growth rates?

摘要

Rearing replacement heifer calves is a labour-intensive and expensive component of dairy systems (Drackley 2008). Large numbers of replacement heifers are not meeting target live weights in New Zealand (McNaughton & Lopdell 2012) which has implications for future milk production, fertility and subsequent longevity in the herd (Van Amburgh & Tikofsky 2001).