Spike Feeding Heifers

Summary

The project was aimed at determining practical, cost effective strategies to achieve increased calf output by addressing three problems:
a. low, spread out, or late conceptions in maiden heifers;
b. first calf cows that fail to complete calving; and
c. a low conception rate from first calf cows (i.e. second mating).
More specifically to determine practical cost effective strategies to:
Increase the number of live calves produced per hundred females mated from both 2 y.o. first calvers and 3 y.o. second calvers by a minimum of 5%.
Have a more compact mating and therefore calving period i.e. maximum of 9 weeks for maidens and 12 weeks for older females.
Reduce the number of assisted births and/or dam and calf deaths (first calvers)
Reduce other input costs (eg. better utilisation of bulls, more efficient supplement use)