ABSTRACT
Over the last two decades, there have been many advances in the nutrition, housing and health management of young, dairy replacement heifers. Nevertheless, national survey results suggest that approximately 1 out of every 10 dairy heifers in the United States die before weaning. Individual studies from Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and other parts of the world have reported less alarming results. Yet, vast improvements in the success of rearing of young dairy calves are possible and are urgently needed. This chapter will delve into aspects of the management of birth, improvement of calf vitality, success of colostrum feeding, prevention of neonatal disease, alleviation of pain at common procedures, provision of optimal housing, execution of accelerated feeding programmes, stress-free weaning efforts and maintenance of efficient rearing by optimal nutrition and housing of post-weaned dairy heifers. In each of these areas of emphasis, numerous recent advances will be presented. However, hurdles and bottlenecks to achieving meaningful improvements in the success of heifer-rearing programmes, particularly as they relate to calf welfare, will also be described and discussed.
