Raising dairy heifers on pasture has its economic advantages

Authors: Jaramillo, David; Kalscheur, Kenneth; CAMISA-NOVA, CARLOS - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Forage Focus
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Raising dairy heifers on pasture can be a win-win strategy for increasing animal productivity and reducing the environmental footprint of dairy production. Few studies have compared the potential impacts of pasture or confinement raising heifers on their subsequent milk production. A study was conducted from 2010-2013 at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center to evaluate the potential long-term effects on lactation and economic implications under both scenarios (that is, pasture- versus confinement-raised heifers). In this study, 18 heifers each were raised on either cool-season grass pastures or in a free-stall barn fed a total mixed ration (TMR) diet. All animals were born between November 2010 and January 2011. The pasture-raised groups were allowed to graze for two consecutive seasons before they calved and entered the milk herd, while the confinement groups always remained under conventionally managed conditions within a dairy barn. By the end of the second grazing season, heifers across both treatment groups had similar bodyweights, but pasture-raised heifers showed greater dry matter intake. The same was true during lactation with pasture-raised heifers having greater dry matter intake, which translated into greater milk production. Milk production and composition, feed intake, and body weight were recorded at 50, 100, 150, and 200 days in milk. The cows who were previously raised on pasture produced more milk than those previously raised in confinement. Milk components on a percentage basis (fat, protein, and lactose), body weight, and feed efficiency were not different between the two treatments throughout the lactation period, however the increased milk yield resulted in greater milk protein yield (lbs/d) for pasture-raised heifers compared to confinement-raised heifers. As a result, the calculated income over feed costs (milk income minus feed costs) was $1.76 per day greater for the cows previously raised on pasture compared to those raised in confinement (US$ 12.80/d and US$ 11.04/d, respectively). Thus, economic advantages are evident when heifers are raised on pasture without deleterious effects on growth and performance.