The weaned pure-bred Friesian heifer calves are turned out to grass after first-cut silage and are fed about 1 kg of home-mix concentrate throughout the summer to obtain daily live-weight gains of 0.75 - 0.8 kg. After housing in the second autumn at an approximate live-weight of 300 kg they are fed ad lib silage and 2 kg of mix to achieve a target bulling weight of 370 kg at 15 months of age. This feeding continues for the 10-week period during which they are served to calve the following August/September period. For the remainder of the winter they are fed silage and concentrates to maintain a growth rate of 0.75 kg / day until turnout the following spring.
Normally herd replacement heifers are inseminated with semen from “easy calving” Holstein bulls. One of the sires used recently is unsexed Gea Aaron Sheva.
The beef-cross heifers are also grazed and then reared inside on a diet of ad lib silage and 2 kg concentrate. At 400kg they are either sold as suckler cow replacements or kept and sold deadweight when finished.