The grazing of heifers and cows has become an area of interest over the past few years. I , the percentage of producers who graze decreases as herd size increases. Grazing heifers and dry cows has several advantages for smaller dairies and should be considered during the spring, summer and early fall. There certainly is a place for rotational grazing on many farms. One interesting finding from this survey is that even in the largest herd category, over half the producers still prefer to raise their own forages.
Results show producers want to control their own forage growing and harvesting management.
Another statistic supporting BST as increasing milk production is the fact that over five times the percentage of high production herds use BST as do not. The rest of the categories are self-explanatory. Separating calves from their mothers soon after freshening and getting at least four quarts of colostrum into the calf as soon after birth as possible are simply good management practices which should be a routine part of a good heifer rearing program. As Nebraska herds continue to expand, opportunities to custom raise heifers will arise. The survey shows that as the dairy enterprise expands, the number of producers who are not raising their own replacements increases.