Rearing to go

摘要

In this, the first in a series of articles based on position papers produced by the national High Genetic Merit Dairy Cow Initiative, we look at the critical management requirements of today's dairy heifer. Launched at the 1996 European Dairy FarmingEvent by Dalgety Agriculture and the Holstein Friesian Society, the HGM Initiative aims to promote advanced feeding and management regimes for high genetic merit dairy cows. UK dairymen must ensure that high genetic merit heifers are well grown at calving, have adequate body reserves and a high food intake capacity post-calving, according to Dis Sinclair Mayne and Alistair Carson of ARINI, Hillsborough. These are the critical management requirements they define in the first HGM position paper publishedthis week as part of the nationwide industry Initiative.