From weaning through to first lactation, heifers represent one of the longest and most capital-intensive investments on a dairy farm.
Yet too often, their nutrition relies on suboptimal feed.
Consistently hitting growth and weight targets requires dedication and a deliberate, year‑in, year‑out commitment to a heifer-focused feeding program.
Once calves are weaned, the objective is steady, uninterrupted growth.
In pasture‑based systems, this generally means targeting daily liveweight gains of 0.6 to 0.8 kilograms, ensuring heifers reach 60 per cent of their mature liveweight at joining and 85 per cent of their mature liveweight at first calving.
Achieving these targets cannot be left to pasture alone because seasonal feed gaps during winter or summer commonly result in growth checks that are difficult and expensive to recover from.
The benefits of investing in heifer nutrition carry through to first lactation and beyond.
Heifers that calve at 22 to 24 months, and at the correct liveweight have 20 per cent more chance of getting back in calf, produce 5 per cent more milk and are 10 per cent more likely to remain in the herd .
Undergrown heifers, by contrast, divert nutrients to continued body growth instead of milk production, reducing first‑lactation yield and lifetime performance.
So how can farmers ensure their heifers are on track?
The keys are a good feed supply, regular liveweight monitoring, and targeted feeding.
Whether purchased or home‑grown, feed allocated to young stock needs to be budgeted annually, matched to performance targets, and protected during periods of feed pressure.
Adding just 2kgDM of maize silage to a pasture-based heifer diet can equate to an extra 0.2 kg of liveweight gain per day.
Growing feed specifically for heifers is a practical way to ensure they meet weight targets.
Crops such as Pioneer brand maize and forage sorghum can provide reliable, high‑energy feed to complement pasture and smooth seasonal variation.
Maize silage offers excellent palatability and consistency, and can be stored and fed when required.
Forage sorghum adds flexibility in warmer or drier seasons, with strong biomass production and the ability to generate large volumes of feed.
Purchased supplements play an important role when homegrown supply falls short.
The focus should always be on meeting nutrient requirements that match the heifer’s stage of growth, rather than simply filling a feed gap.
Monitoring is also a critical step, and heifers should be weighed routinely to track progress against target weights rather than relying on visual assessment.
Dairy Australia suggests weighing every 2–3 months is a practical minimum to detect problems early and adjust nutrition in time.
More frequent weighing (e.g. every 4–6 weeks) is encouraged after weaning, leading into joining or if heifers are behind or ahead of target 1.
By committing to focused heifer feeding and monitoring programs, producers can consistently deliver well‑grown heifers that can convert feed into milk sooner, thereby improving cash flow, labour efficiency, and whole-farm profitability across successive seasons.
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