Karen believes herd health starts in the maternity pen. She is passionate about youngstock health and welfare and has honed management techniques to achieve exceptional performance.
Calf mortality is under 1%, and fewer than 10% of cows require assistance during calving.
Herd data from 2023 shows that 100% of first-lactation heifers survive to second lactation, with 88% entering their third. In comparison, only 83% of heifers in the UK make it to first lactation, according to a recent study by AHDB and Reading University.
“When we started crossbreeding, I noticed how much easier calves were to rear – they drank more colostrum and were worth more money when I took them to market. They are bigger, stronger, healthier calves,” explains Karen.
During the ProCROSS Conference, Annica Hansson from Växa, one of VikingGenetics’ member cooperatives, presented studies showing that feeding more milk in early life was beneficial for calf growth, health and milk production in first lactation. “A good goal is that you should double [the calf’s] birth weight by eight weeks,” she said.
Joe Stone from HJ Lea Oakes echoed this: “Ultimately, we are investing in our youngstock for the future. You wouldn’t go and run a marathon without training, so why would you expect these to do multiple lactations without the right upbringing?”
To give calves the best start to life, the Haltons feed heifers with their dam’s colostrum ad libitum for five days before transitioning to milk powder. They then receive milk powder ad lib until they are five weeks old.
After moving onto an automatic feeder at about 10 days of age, milk is gradually reduced at five weeks, and calves are fully weaned by day 50, provided they eat at least 3kg a head a day of a 20% crude protein pellet.
Karen reiterates the importance of good early-life growth so heifers can reach breeding target weights. “It is our job to get the first bit right because we are not going to get a second chance at this,” she emphasises.
