Driving Profitability

University Researcher and Professor of Animal Science Dr. Tom Spencer: “The ultimate goal of what we’d like to do is to develop a set of genetic markers where you can test a new born heifer for her predicted fertility as an adult.” Which fits into Zoetis Animal Health’s message concerning Driving Profitability in your livestock operation.

Two months isn’t a lot of time, but it can make a big difference for profitability. In fact, getting heifers pregnant two months earlier resulted in an additional $200 to $250 in lifetime net farm income per cow.1

Age at first calving is an important metric in terms of managing heifer inventories and is, therefore, important to help minimize net herd turnover cost. Young stock health is paramount in allowing animals to grow properly so that they reach appropriate breeding age in a timely fashion. As such, it is no surprise that a recent study Zoetis conducted with Compeer Financial found that heifer survival rate is one of the top six factors affecting dairy net farm income.2

Other factors influencing the bottom line;    Raise only the right heifers, Guard against scours and bovine respiratory disease (BRD), Optimize your reproduction program.