Dairy heifers are the future of a milking herd and yet research regularly identifies them, for various reasons, as not receiving optimal herd management. Farm blindness when considering on-farm morbidity and mortality has been identified, as have barriers to productive data collection and analysis. This article discusses the evidence-based literature around why that might be the case, what the role of the veterinary surgeon is with regards to youngstock management, what farmers want and practical applications of how to achieve this. Practical services offered and engagement of veterinary surgeons and clients in a cohesive approach to on-farm youngstock management are considered, with practical examples included.
Emily et al. (Sat,) studied this question.