HEIFER MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION
Heifer stock plays a key role in determining herd size.
 Buffalo heifers are the valuable replacement animals for
farmers.
 Care and management significantly influence the production
performances of heifers.
Under village conditions, the age of heifers at first conception
varies widely depending upon the feeding and management
practices.
 General information
 Average age at first conception of buffalo heifers is 18-20
months
 Calves at about 30-36 months of age and 300-350kg body
weight.
 Mean daily gain in body weight from 12 weeks of age to
12 months of age is around 500 g/d.
 Age of water buffaloes at first calving is higher in
tropics than in temperate climate.
 Functional Design for the Heifer
Provide a healthy environment
Fresh Air
 Clean, dry and comfortable
Adequate feed and water
Use labor efficiently
Effectively utilize a farm’s resources
 Functional Design for the Caretaker

 Easy observation
 Easy feeding
 Easy cleaning
 Manage the effects of weather
 Easy access and restraint
 Housing of Heifers
 At about 6 months of age heifers should be moved to more
spacious sheds meant for growing animals.

Housing are of two types such as-

 Loose Housing
Conventional Housing

1.Loose housing
At organized dairy farms heifers are usually kept under loose housing
system with a shed for feeding and shelter during extreme climates.
Loose Housing Contd.
 2.Conventional Housing of Heifers

 They are standard stalls with facilities for feeding, watering and grooming
of individual animals.
 The shed is partitioned about 1.5 meter distance with galvanized iron pipe
of 5 cm diameter several compartments in order to keep the animal confined
to his own area and to avoid any injury specially to udder and teats of
neighboring animals.
 This also facilitates the management of individual and special feeding
without much investment on labor.
 Feeding of Pregnant Heifers

 The requirement of feed and nutrients of heifer increases significantly,

depending upon the milk production capacity.
Usually, when straws and poor quality hay are the roughage source,
pregnant heifers are fed 1.5 to 2 kg concentrate mixture depending upon
the availability of small amount of roughages.
 Concentrate feeding should be increased gradually, during 15-20 days

before calving and up to 4-5 kg per day for a milking buffalo

 Factors Affecting Growth Rates of Heifers
Fodder
On ad libitum feeding of legume forage like Berseem , Lucerne cowpea;
growing heifers may gain about 370 g daily. Supplementation of a small
quantity of energy rich concentrate mixture significantly improves the rate
of daily gain in body weight.

 Effect of shelter and water sprinkling

Buffaloes are very found of wallowing. However, under limited conditions
of intensive rearing or keeping of small herds in towns and a few head (1-5
or more) by farmers.
If the shelter is provided against direct solar heat, growth performance is
dramatically improved, particularly if shade is provided by thick foliage of
large trees.
 General Management Practices

1. Grooming
2. Regularity in Daily Operations
3. Kindness in Handling
4. Wallowing/Bath
5. Shelter
6. Culling
7. Control of Flies
8. Heat Detection in Females
9. Clipping
 General Mgt. Practices
10. Control of Vices
- Kicking
- Sucking
- Licking
- Naval sucking
- Chewing of rope
11. Spraying
12. Transportation
13. Collection, Storage and Utilization of Manure
14. Range Management
 Use of Feed Additives in Heifer Diet

 When formulating diets for post-weaned heifers, should be

sure to include either Rumensin® or Bovatec® in the ration.
 These ionophores increase feed efficiency by reducing
methane losses and increasing the volatile fatty acid
propionate in the rumen.
 Propionate is a precursor for glucose that is used for energy.
 These additives also help to control coccidiosis and may spare
protein in the rumen
 Care of Heifer at Parturition

Transfer the heifer to disinfected loose box 2 weeks

before calving
Three days before calving, feed a laxative and light
ration, increase proportion of bran and molasses in the
diet.
 Care of Heifer at Parturition Contd.

Monitor 4 hourly before 2 days of calving.

 The actual calving takes 2 hrs, watch it from distance as
heifers tend to be nervous.
After the delivery, give the heifer a bucket full of fresh
tap water followed by warm mash made from bran,
cracked wheat or corn, molasses, salt, ginger and mineral
supplement
 Care of Heifer at Parturition Contd.

 This will restore vigor & help in cleaning the bowels

 The placenta is expelled 4 hrs after delivery, it should
be removed & immediately buried, otherwise heifers
eat it & thus suffer from putrefaction of rumen
 If the placenta is retained for more than 24 hrs, call a
veterinarian
 Management of Pregnant Cows
 On an average Indian buffaloes carry their calves for a period of 305
days but gestation period may range from 290 to 320 days from the
date of service (conception).

 At organized farms where large number of animals are maintained it

is very essential to keep records of each female individually.

 The following care should be taken for pregnant buffaloes:

 Calculate the approximate date of calving from the breeding record

of the cow and move her to calving box about 710 days in advance.

 The calving box should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.

 Mgt. of Pregnant Cows Contd.
 Buffaloes in second and higher parity should be dried at least 6-8
weeks before calving. for drying off the buffaloes quantity of
concentrate mixture should be reduced to zero and poor quality
roughage should be fed for 4-5 days.
 With good quality fodders about 2-3 kg concentrate mixture should
be fed to good yielders.
 During the last 10-15 days before calving buffaloes should be fed a
mild laxative diet consisting of plenty of green fodder
 Management of Dry Herd
 The length of lactation period in buffaloes varies form 8 to 10
months and calving interval from 11 to 18 months thus,
 A dry buffalo has to be maintained for an average period of about
5 moths (2-8 months) before the next calving.
 On good quality pasture no extra feeding of concentrate is
required.
 In village condition, autumn is a natural breeding season, however
by providing shelter and water sprinkling/wallowing facility
normal breeding performances and fertility have been observed
around the year.
 Mgt. of Dry Herd Contd.
 Hence, non-pregnant dry buffaloes and breed able heifers should
preferably provided protection from solar radiation
 Buffaloes in their last 6-8 weeks of gestation period should be
separated from the dry herd and should be fed on the basis of their
previous lactation performance or expected yield.
 This feeding is know as “streaming up” which is followed by a
“lead feeding” of 7-10 days period.
 Lead feeding is required only for high yielding females producing
20 liters or more milk per day.
 Measurements of Heifer
Performance
 No death loss
 Minimize overall pathogen exposure
 No respiratory disease
 Minimal GI tract disease
 Minimize hoof and inter-digital disease
 Comfortable and minimize joint and skeletal
abnormalities
 Recommendations
 Formulate balanced rations based on the nutrient
analysis of the silage, hay, or other forage being fed.
 Include Rumensin ® or Bovatec ® in the ration.
 Use by-product feeds when available.
 Feed a cottonseed hull-based TMR to 2 to 6 month old
heifers.
 Use high quality grazed forage when available.
 Recommendations Contd.

 Supplement grazing heifers diets with silage, hay, grain,

or a cottonseed hull based TMR when needed.
 De-worm the heifers at least twice per year.
 Monitor body weight, wither height, and average daily
gains to make sure your feeding program is on target
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