With the breeding season edging closer, farmers need to ensure that their maiden heifers are on target, in good condition, and ready for breeding.

The maiden heifers on your farm should be of high genetic merit and of the best genetics in the herd as they are getting prepared to be the next generation of milkers.

Good weather conditions have allowed farmers to get heifers out to grass, but limited grass growth up to now may have set them behind target.

If there are a few heifers behind target in the group, farmers should consider separating them, allocating them fresh, lush grass with supplementation.

Whatever the case is - and there does not seem to be many complaints on the ground about heifers behind target which is a positive - all the maiden heifers should be weighed to get an understanding of what needs to be done.

It is important to understand the average weight of the cows in your herd to get a proper understanding of what weight your heifers should be at.

The average maintenance sub-index in the country is €13 and that means that the average cow in the country weighs 576kg.

Heifers need to be at 60% of their mature bodyweight for breeding at 15 months and a cow at 576kg - that means the heifers need to be at 345-350kg.

The maintenance index value and the associated projected live weight along with the relevant weight targets for maiden heifers at breeding as per Teagasc are as follows:

If heifers fail to meet these targets, their reproductive performance is completely limited and conception rates will be reduced.

If heifers are underweight, the use of sexed semen is not advisable, as conception rates are reduced as it is with sexed semen and if you add underweight heifers to that, the results will be disappointing.

Therefore, weighing heifers now is one of the most important thing any farmer can do at the moment and make the decision around what heifers get sexed and conventional based on weights.

Many farmers will be aiming to synchronise heifers at the start of the breeding season, so a decision will have to be made on weight results in the coming days.

To get heifers back on track, a kilo of soya between four heifers every day could be enough over the next few weeks.

Make sure the heifers have an adequate supply of mineral in front of them and, if there are issues with weight gain, farmers should blood-test a few heifers to see if they are lacking in certain minerals that can then be supplemented.

Grouping your maiden heifers may need to occur, with different groups being on different feeding routines.

If you are unsure about their dietary requirements, you should speak with your nutritionist or dairy adviser.