Measurement is knowledge

It is difficult to assess calf growth when the animals are still young. The rate of growth is even more difficult to estimate during the period from the start through to the moment they are placed on grates,” confirmed Johan Verdaasdonk, young cattle ­specialist at Nutrifeed in The Netherlands.

An important measuring moment for calves is when they transfer to the grid floor, at the age of around four months. “A height measurement offers a reliable indication of the animal’s development, and is a good guideline for the ideal insemination moment,” suggested Verdaasdonk. “Our preference is a height measurement because measuring chest size leads to more variation,” he explained. “If a heifer is scared, for example, it swells its chest. Our height graph is based on 10,000 historical measurements, making it far more reliable.” Verdaasdonk added one extra point, namely that when stood in straw, calves tend to stand slightly higher. “It can easily make a difference of 5 centimetres,” he suggested, adding that growth results are important. “If you do not achieve your growth target at the start, you will never catch up.”