An analysis of the financial and environmental impacts of early maturing of heifers on Norwegian dairy farms
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This paper explores a management practice that increases average daily weight gain (ADG) in dairy heifers from three months of age until confirmed pregnancy. The practice achieves early maturation of the animal as heifers under this management start lactation at 22 months of age compared to 26 months under common farm practices. This practice is an efficient rearing process for dairy farms and is considered more environment-friendly. It is associated with reduced emissions of GHG due to a reduced need for maintenance feeding, as well as a lower demand for recruitment animals. The management practice implies higher daily feed costs, but there are lesser days of feeding and lower costs of housing and labour. The objective of this study is to explore the financial and environmental impacts of the ADG management practice on Norwegian dairy farms.