It’s a critical time for weanling heifers. Many have been housed now for a few months.

They should be taken out of the sheds, weighed and re-sorted based on liveweight.

On a straight-line growth curve, heifers going to the bull on 1 May should be around 260kg now. I wouldn’t panic if they are a bit lighter right now as liveweight gain will increase after they go to grass.

But it’s still important to separate the light ones and give them extra meal. For heifers that are on target and will be turned out to grass in February, I would be happy to take them off meal now and let them make use of compensatory growth when they go to grass.

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