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"metaTitle": "What is a Heifer? What is Called a Heifer?",
"metaDescription": "What is a Heifer? What is Called a Heifer? The term heifer is a term frequently used in the livestock sector and refers to young female cattle.",
"metaKeywords": "heifer, cattle, livestock, breeding, young cattle, cow, bull, animal husbandry
What is a Heifer? What is Called a Heifer?
The term heifer is a term frequently used in the livestock sector and refers to young female cattle. These animals include cattle in the youth stage that have passed the calfhood period but have not yet reached sexual maturity. Heifers are generally raised for milk or meat production, and their passage through a healthy growth process is of critical importance for obtaining quality products in the future. Heifer breeding is based on factors such as nutrition, health monitoring, and appropriate housing conditions. The careful raising of these young female cattle increases productivity and quality in the livestock industry.
What is a heifer?
Heifer is a term in livestock terminology representing the stage in which a female calf grows without offspring. Young female cattle that have passed the calfhood period but have not yet given birth are called heifers. A heifer begins to be called a "cow" after giving birth for the first time. To go into more detail, in the 0-6 month period after calves are born, they are called "calf" regardless of gender. In the process from 6 months until they are 15 months old, large ruminant offspring are called "young cattle (dana)" regardless of gender. However, after 15 months, female offspring are called "heifer", and male offspring are called "young bull (tosun)". A heifer transitions to cow status after giving birth for the first time. In this case, while a female animal over 2 years old that has given birth is called a "cow", the male is called a "bull".
How many months old is a heifer?
A heifer is generally called a female cattle or cow that has not given birth and has no offspring. Heifers are generally included in this category starting from 12 months until they give birth. That is, the term heifer covers the period of young female cattle before giving birth. When a heifer begins to give birth, she is called a "cow". This process is an important stage in the reproductive cycle of cattle.
What is called a heifer?
What is called a heifer is a generally wondered subject and is a term frequently heard among large ruminants. Heifer refers specifically to female large ruminants used for milk production. These animals are females between 1 and 2 years old that are not pregnant. The meat of these animals called heifers is generally softer and fattier compared to other large ruminants. However, it is important that heifers are not slaughtered excessively because attention must be paid to the slaughter of these animals for the sustainability of generations. According to the Turkish Language Association (TDK) dictionary meaning, a heifer represents female cattle 1-2 years old that have not yet been bred.
What is the difference between a young cattle (dana) and a heifer?
Young cattle (dana) and heifer are two different concepts based on the age and gender difference between large ruminants. Generally, young large ruminants between 6 and 15 months are called "dana". In this process, both female and male offspring are given this name without gender distinction. However, after passing the 15-month period, while the young female animal begins to be called a "heifer", the male offspring begins to be referred to as a "young bull (tosun)". That is, while the word dana generally expresses young large ruminants, heifer and young bull (tosun) are terms that become distinct according to the genders of these young animals.
What are the Characteristics of a Heifer?
Heifer refers to female individuals of large ruminants in a certain age range. The characteristics of heifers are as follows:
Age Range: Heifers generally include female cattle between 1 and 2.5 years old. The fact that they have not given birth in this period is an important feature.
Birth and Cowhood: A heifer becomes a cow when she gives birth. She is called a heifer before birth and a cow after birth.
Calving Ability: A heifer must generally have passed at least 2 years since the day she was born so that she is called a heifer during this period. After giving birth, the ability to give a calf becomes distinct.
Care and Attention: After giving birth, heifers and the born calf need careful care. In this process, appropriate nutrition and veterinary services are important for healthy development.
Meat and Milk Production: Heifers are generally important in terms of meat and milk production. Heifers with a good genetic structure can contribute to quality meat and milk production.
The characteristics of heifers are important factors considered when making selections in animal husbandry and farming. These characteristics can be decisive in terms of animal health, productivity, and farm management.
What is a Breeding Heifer?
The concept of breeding heifer refers to the breeding period of female cattle from 12 months until giving birth. In this process, the correct nutrition of heifers can positively affect their meat and milk production in future periods. Some basic terms related to breeding heifers are as follows:
Heifer: The name given to young cows that have not given birth or have no offspring.
Young Bull (Tosun): The name given to male cow (cattle) offspring between 15 and 24 months.
Cow: The name given to female cattle from 2 years of age.
These terms refer to specific age groups in cattle breeding and livestock, and each has specific care and nutritional needs. The correct management of breeding heifers forms the basis of a healthy and productive animal raising process.
How is a breeding heifer selected?
Breeding heifer selection is very important for individuals in the livestock sector because it includes a series of features that enable heifers to be more productive. Knowing the physical characteristics of heifers with high meat and milk yield makes it possible for individuals in the livestock sector to gain an advantage. So, how is a breeding heifer selected and what should be considered?
Evaluation of breeding heifers is generally based on the following criteria:
- Body depth
- Rump height
- Rump width
- Hoof structure
- Rear leg structure
- Rump slope
- Muscle development
These criteria are important evaluation elements for breeding heifer selection. Heifers with meat and milk yield are expected to have certain characteristics:
- A long and deep body structure indicates a high rump height.
- Greater body depth indicates a better ability to benefit from feed.
- The rump slope being slightly backwards contributes to a more comfortable birth.
- Rump width is important for easy birth.
- A wide chest structure is necessary for a breeding heifer.
These characteristics have great importance in identifying productive breeding heifers.
Care and Nutrition of Heifers
For young cattle (dana) and heifers to be productive bulls or cows, an effective care and nutrition program must be applied. Calves are especially a source of potential yield and can be productive in future periods when raised with correct care. There are important points to be considered regarding care and nutrition. Breeding male young cattle should be taken into a special care and feeding program. Other male animals to be used for slaughter can be subjected to a separate fattening program. Those to be selected as breeding animals from female calves should be selected among those that are strong, lively, healthy, have a smooth body, and soft skin. Calves can be given calf starter feed up to four months, then they can be fed with mixed feed. In this feeding program, half a kilo of quality feed should be used per day for every 100 kilos of live weight. In addition, natural foods such as quality meadow grass and hay should be added. Calves undergo a rapid growth period in the fifth and sixth months. They gain approximately 750 grams of live weight increase per day. In this process, it is important to support them with protein-rich feeds. In the summer months, especially in places where pasture is available, feeding breeding females in the pasture after the sixth month may be preferred. During this period, animals meet their needs by consuming 15-20 kilos of pasture grass per day.
IF PASTURE QUALITY IS LOW: One kilo of mixed feed per day should be added to the daily diet of young cattle grazed on pasture with low grass quality.
IF NO PASTURE IS AVAILABLE: Special importance should be given to the nutrition of young breeding stock in enterprises without pasture possibilities. Along with concentrated feed, feeds such as quality hay and dry alfalfa should be used. Concentrated feed between half and two kilos per day can be given. Regardless of whether they are fed in pasture or barn, minerals and salt must be provided to the young cattle. A mineral mixture can be used or a licking stone containing various minerals can be placed in front of them.
Newly developing male and female young cattle must be kept separate: After the sixth month, care should be taken that male young cattle reaching sexual maturity are not in the same area as females. Male young cattle may try to mount females and some females may become pregnant. This situation can lead to unwanted pregnancies. Therefore, it is important to keep male and female young cattle in separate areas.
NUTRITION OF ONE-YEAR-OLDS
In the first year, concentrated feed continues to be given to young cattle. These young animals cannot easily digest roughage, so nutritious feeds are preferred. Depending on available feed resources, feeding combinations such as dry meadow hay and meadow silage or dry meadow hay and fodder beet or dry meadow hay and corn silage and meadow silage can be used. It is also important to add a mineral mixture to these feeds.
CARE OF HEIFERS
Good nutrition of young cattle is not enough on its own; good care is also required. Their hooves must be kept clean and dry. A generous amount of clean bedding material should be spread under them. The most suitable barn temperature for young cattle is between 10-18 degrees. Brucella vaccine should be administered at 4-8 months of age.
As we generally all know, we call the newborn cattle "calf (buzağı)". Those that are 6-12 months old are called "young cattle (dana)," and female cattle over one year old that have not given birth are called "heifer". Cattle pregnant with their first calf are called "pregnant heifer". When a pregnant heifer gives birth and begins to give milk, she becomes a "cow". With good care and conscious feeding during the heifer period, she becomes a cow with high offspring and milk yield. For this reason, healthy care and feeding are important during the heifer stage. Quality dry alfalfa, hay, and silage play a critical role in the nutrition of heifers. The calcium and phosphorus needs of heifers fed with corn silage must also be met. Another important point to consider while applying good feeding is not to over-fatten the heifers. Giving excessive amounts of high-protein concentrated feeds to heifers should be avoided. In case of overfeeding, the ovaries and udder tissues of heifers may become fatty, which can reduce the conception abilities of heifers or cause infertility, while also negatively affecting milk yield.With correct care and nutrition programs, young cattle and heifers show healthy development and become productive animals. However, negative results can be obtained when wrong nutrition programs are used.
Can There Be a Male Heifer?
No, the term "heifer" refers to female cattle. Female cattle are young cows that have not given birth or have no offspring. The term used for male cattle is generally known as "young bull (tosun)". Tosuns represent male cattle between 15 and 24 months. Therefore, the term "male heifer" is not a correct definition.
Is a Heifer Slaughtered at Sacrifice (Kurban)?
The issue of whether heifers, which are an important resource for reproduction in animal husbandry, should be slaughtered as sacrificial animals creates a major debate. While the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry prohibits the slaughter of heifers as sacrificial animals due to their reproductive potential, the failure to ensure effective supervision in this regard poses a problem. Sector representatives state that due to the value of a qualified heifer, no one would slaughter it as a sacrificial animal, while they express that low-quality heifers may be slaughtered despite the prohibition and that it is difficult to prevent this situation.
Heifer meat or young cattle (dana) meat?
When choosing between young cattle (dana) meat and heifer meat, which meat to prefer may vary depending on personal tastes and recipes. Young cattle meat can generally be softer and juicier as it is obtained from younger animals. On the other hand, heifer meat generally comes from older animals and therefore may have a more intense taste and texture. Which meat to use when cooking may vary depending on the recipe and personal preferences.
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