{"id":5299,"date":"2026-03-30T14:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/?post_type=actualite&#038;p=5299"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:55:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:55:03","slug":"why-does-the-body-conformation-of-heifers-make-all-the-difference-for-future-dairy-cows","status":"publish","type":"actualite","link":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/news\/why-does-the-body-conformation-of-heifers-make-all-the-difference-for-future-dairy-cows\/","title":{"rendered":"Why does the body conformation of heifers make all the difference for future dairy cows?"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/div>\n<div id=\"block-hero-block_366bca817682bace53295754cb86bd8e\" class=\"container-fluid page_header_banner_part  block-hero\"  style=\"background: url(https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fond-blog.png) no-repeat center \/ cover;\" >\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"row\">\n            <div class=\"col-12\">\n                <nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><span class=\"last\">Home<\/span><\/p><\/nav>            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n            <div class=\"col-12 col-md-8 text-center\">\n                \n                <h1>Why does the body conformation of heifers make all the difference for future dairy cows?<\/h1>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>We cannot stress this enough: <strong>to have good cows, you must first have good heifers<\/strong>. And their <strong><em>conformation<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 that is to say, <strong>their height, weight and body balance<\/strong> \u2014 has a direct impact on their entire career.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Everything comes down to the next six months<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>At this age, the heifer is developing its skeleton, its rumen, its future feed intake capacity, and even the foundation of its udder.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>Target: <strong>200 kg and a chest circumference of 130 cm<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p><strong>A well-developed heifer at 6 months will produce more milk, have a 40% chance of reaching a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> lactation, and remain in the herd for longer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Between 6 and 15 months: watch out for fat !<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>This is the most critical stage. If the heifer grows too quickly :<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It produces fat in the udder \u2192 reduced milk yield in future lactations <em>(Figure 1)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It becomes more difficult to inseminate: AI success rate &lt; 60% <em>(Figure 2)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It risks of being too fat at calving<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p><strong>The aim is therefore steady but not excessive growth (ADG &lt; 800 g\/day).<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"825\" height=\"611\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5302\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3503237936076875;object-fit:cover;width:573px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais.png 825w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-300x222.png 300w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-768x569.png 768w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-660x489.png 660w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-450x333.png 450w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-330x244.png 330w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-180x133.png 180w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-163608-Graphique-1-en-Anglais-500x370.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1021\" height=\"615\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais-.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5304\" style=\"width:573px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais-.png 1021w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--990x596.png 990w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--660x398.png 660w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--450x271.png 450w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--330x199.png 330w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--180x108.png 180w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graphique-2-Anglais--500x301.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Analysis of the morphology of 15,000 heifers and prediction of their future performance<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>A study conducted by CCPA between 2024 and 2025 on 15,000 heifers monitored using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/product\/morphoscore\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/product\/morphoscore\/\">Morphoscore<\/a> across 340 farms in France<em> (Figure 3)<\/em>, and a study carried out in 2019, show that heifers:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00ab<strong>Superior<\/strong>\u00bb (16% in the study) or \u00ab<strong>Standard<\/strong>\u00bb (19%) cows go on to become <strong>much better cows<\/strong>: they produce more milk, have greater longevity, suffer fewer reproductive problems and enjoy the best careers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00ab<strong>Inadequate<\/strong>\u00bb (42%) remain small and produce less: -600 L in the 1<sup>st<\/sup> lactation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00ab<strong>Fatty<\/strong>\u00bb (15%) have poorer lactations: -370 L in the 1<sup>st<\/sup> lactation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"697\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-1024x697.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5306\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4691735898557061;width:573px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-1024x697.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-300x204.png 300w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-768x523.png 768w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-990x674.png 990w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-660x449.png 660w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-450x306.png 450w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-330x225.png 330w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-180x122.png 180w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais-500x340.png 500w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-Graph-3-Anglais.png 1045w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>During the 0\u20133-month phase, growth was found to be insufficient (715 g\/day, against a target of 900 g\/day), as was the case during the 3\u20136-month phase (835 g\/day against a target of >900 g\/day)<em> (Figure 4).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>Conversely, there was significant catch-up growth between 6 and 15 months (816 g\/day against a target of 750 g\/day), a phase during which adipose tissue develops. The result was an increase in the number of fattened heifers after 6 months <em>(Figure 4)<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"629\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--1024x629.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5308\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.6280055720428805;object-fit:cover;width:573px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--1024x629.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--768x472.png 768w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--990x608.png 990w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--660x406.png 660w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--450x277.png 450w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--330x203.png 330w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--180x111.png 180w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais--500x307.png 500w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-24-graphique-4-en-anglais-.png 1196w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Better conformation = earlier calving age<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>In line with this objective, heifers should calve <strong>between 22 and 36 months<\/strong>, depending on the system (forage, housing, capital investment).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A heifer <strong>over <\/strong>15 months old should aim for 24 months before calving.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A heifer <strong>that is underdeveloped<\/strong> should aim for 30 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>Early, well-prepared calving (bringing the age at first calving down from 28 to 24 months) results in a <strong>savings of \u20ac180 per heifer and an additional 2.1 kg of milk per day of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. A good start = more milk for life<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>According to these two studies, the impact of heifers\u2019 body conformation on milk production was calculated:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>+10 cm at the withers = <strong>+580 litres of milk<\/strong> in the first lactation and +440 litres in the second lactation (Figure 5)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>+10% weight: <strong>+140 litres in the 1st lactation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moving from a majority of heifers classified as \u2018Insufficient\u2019 to \u2018Superior\u2019 (+15% weight and +15% height): <strong>+1,080 litres in the 1<sup>st<\/sup> lactation<\/strong> \/ <strong>+660 litres in the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> lactation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improved longevity: <strong>Gain of 0.64 lactations<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>In improving the conformation of heifers from a very young age, a farmer can earn up to \u20ac2,810 per heifer (gross margin excluding overheads).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"851\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais-.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5311\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3770491803278688;width:568px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais-.png 851w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--660x479.png 660w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--450x327.png 450w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--330x240.png 330w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--180x131.png 180w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--612x445.png 612w, https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Capture-decran-2026-03-25-Graph-5-en-Anglais--500x363.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 heading\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. In short: physical development begins at an early age!<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A good heifer = a good cow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ultimate goal: production, durability, profitability\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Before 6 months: developing the skeleton and udder (maximum growth)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>6\u201315 months: managing energy intake (avoiding overfeeding)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-medium-font-size\"><strong>And in reality?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p>Tracking growth allows you to adjust the heifers\u2019 feed regime, thereby promoting good conformation:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Using a tracking tool, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/product\/morphoscore\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/product\/morphoscore\/\">Morphoscore<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adapted feeding programs and nutritional solutions to support animals from conception to their first calving: Program <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/news\/morphostar-programme\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/news\/morphostar-programme\/\">Morphostar<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 paragraph\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We cannot stress this enough: to have good cows, you must first have good heifers. And their conformation \u2014 that is to say, their height, weight and body balance \u2014 has a direct impact on their entire career. 1. Everything comes down to the next six months At this age, the heifer is developing its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5163,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"besoin":[88],"enjeux":[],"espece":[110],"news_type":[171],"class_list":["post-5299","actualite","type-actualite","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","besoin-digestive-balance","espece-ruminants-en","news_type-technical-advice"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/actualite\/5299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/actualite"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/actualite"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/actualite\/5299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5387,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/actualite\/5299\/revisions\/5387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"besoin","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/besoin?post=5299"},{"taxonomy":"enjeux","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/enjeux?post=5299"},{"taxonomy":"espece","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/espece?post=5299"},{"taxonomy":"news_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.deltavit.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_type?post=5299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}