For Murray Easton, the key to successful heifer grazing is winter weight gain.
“Anyone can put on weight in spring but if you’re behind in winter, I don’t think you can really catch it up.”
Heifer calves arrive on Mamahi in December for 17 months of grazing, leaving just before their second winter on the farm.
That leaves only the younger heifers on the farm for winter grazing. Dairy heifers are mainly pasture-fed. It needs to be consistently good quality and their feed is topped up from mid-June to mid-September with baleage – enough to ensure they continue gaining weight during the colder months.
Murray trialled a small turnip crop last year, which the heifers grazed from mid-February. It was only 2ha but provided invaluable feed so he has increased this summer’s crop to 6ha.
Silage is fed out as required in autumn, as well as hay if extra supplement feed is needed. Murray now plans to feed out maize silage during the final three to four weeks of the grazing contract.
He says from February to the end of April was the hardest time to put weight on the heifers.
At this time of year conditions were often drying out (more so in recent seasons) and there were several other classes of stock – heifer calves, lambs and ewe replacements – requiring good feed at the same time.
Murray grew a small area of maize for silage about eight years ago, and while it was not cheap to put in it was great for putting weight on heifers and the feed lasted three years.
To compensate for the costs of the crop, Murray has sown 10ha of maize this season with plans to sell most of it as silage to dairy farms and keep 2ha for his own maize silage.
Grazier responsibilities
Murray Easton has full control over the animal health plan for heifers grown out on his King Country property.
When he first began grazing heifers for the dairy industry, Murray sought recommendations from a farm consultant and a highly regarded vet, developing his animal health plan from there.
Heifer health treatments
December – Drench on arrival with MatrixC, B12-selenium-copper injection
January – Oral Drench Oxfen C Plus
February – Drench Oxfen C Plus; B12, BVD and leptospirosis vaccinations
March – Drench Oxfen C Plus, BVD, leptospirosis
April – Drench Oxfen C Plus, B12
May – Drench Oxfen C Plus
June – Dectomax injection, B12-copper.
August – Dectomax, B12-copper
October – Dectomax, B12
Murray says the plan worked well for him. Because he was responsible for someone else’s animals and being paid per kilogram of weight gain, he liked to ensure the heifers received everything required for good health. During a couple of droughts he did extend the periods between drenches slightly because the worm burden was so low at the time.
As the grazier, Murray covers all costs for basic animal health treatments.
Costs for anything related to being a dairy animal – such as mating, pregnancy tests, leptospirosis and bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) vaccinations – are met by the livestock owners, who also cover transports costs to and from the Easton’s farm.
