Advice for winter feeding in-calf beef heifers

摘要

Getting winter feeding right is crucial to future herd performance and profitability. Debby Brown, veterinary technical manager at Dugdale Nutrition, explains.During the winter, feeding can be a challenge, depending on facilities and feed availability, but it is an area that should not be ignored as both fertility and calf health depend on getting it right In-calf heifers have many demands as they continue togrow at about 0.5kg/day, as well as develop the calf, prepare for lactation and to get back in-calf.When feeding these animals, we need to meet their requirements over winter with the aim of optimising body condition score (BCS) at calving and producinga healthy, live calf.