Advancing your calf and heifer program
Starting calves on the right hoof
When Mark Osterkamp moved from Southern California to West Texas to bring Osterkamp Dairy to life in 2003, he knew he wanted to continue his family’s legacy. Mark is a fourth-generation dairy farmer after his great grandfather began dairying in the 1920s. Today, Osterkamp Dairy is home to an efficient, productive Holstein herd all because Mark got the “bug” to follow in his family’s footsteps.
Cost per pound of gain: A better measure for calf investment
You can measure your heifer “outputs” by tracking their growth. The closer they stay to your target growth curve, the sooner you can breed them and have them ready to calve at the right size for your herd.
Building a better heifer
Having a strategic calf and heifer plan and implementing it means going beyond writing your goals down. Reviewing calf inventories, along with calculating cost per pound of gain and recording average daily gains for your calves and heifers is a great place to start.
Feed only the ones you need.
Feeding too many heifers can drain profits. But, how many is too many for your dairy? When should they calve? Click on the download button below to help you find your sweet spot.