Portuguese 
Changes in the calf-rearing process, full confinement of heifers, transition monitoring, and reproductive protocols by category have helped the property in Tapiratiba (SP) reduce the age at first calving from 27 to 22 months while increasing its daily milk production.
Fazenda São José, located in Tapiratiba (SP), attributes part of the evolution of its production system to changes that begin well before the first lactation. Among these is a defined goal for heifer rearing: to achieve 340 kg at 12 months, a condition used to expedite the entry into reproduction.
This case was presented by Tiago Carneiro at the Interleite Brasil 2026 event in Uberlândia (MG) and detailed in a report by MilkPoint. The disclosed data indicates that production increased from approximately 45,000 liters per day in 2019 to more than 120,000 liters in 2026.
-
Established in the Colonial Period, Fazenda Serra Negra Preserves a Historic House with 14 Rooms and 80-Centimeter Thick Stone Walls Between Aroazes and Santa Cruz dos Milagres
-
Carpenter, 65, Turns Discarded Rose Cuttings Into a Vibrant Public Garden Over Three Years
-
Man Scammed in Online Auction Transfers R$ 35,375, Court Finds Bank Responsible for Not Validating Account
-
Luciano Hang and José Luís Paza’s Journey from Childhood Cookie Sellers to Business Leaders
During the same period, the age at first calving fell from 27 to 22 months. This reduction took five months off the period prior to the first lactation, a phase where the heifer incurs raising costs without producing milk.
Before achieving this result, the property focused on changes in the calf-rearing process. Morbidity among calves aged zero to 30 days dropped from 90% to 36%, while mortality in the same age group fell from 3% to 0.5%.
Average daily gain until 76 days increased from 0.78 kg to 1.30 kg. The overall mortality rate of heifer calves, which was close to 10% before 2019, reached about 2.5% in the period presented for 2025 and 2026.
Confined heifer rearing concentrates control over groups
In the next phase, the farm began to keep 100% of the heifers in a compost barn. This model was associated with improved health and nutritional control, reduced thermal stress, and the formation of more uniform groups.
It was within this structure that the goal of 340 kg at 12 months began to guide the development of the heifers. This weight serves as a reference for the females to reach reproduction with development compatible with the anticipation of the first calving.
The reduction from 27 to 22 months was not presented as the result of a singular decision regarding age. The management integrates body development, health, nutrition, and monitoring of the animals before they enter the group of milking cows.
This shortening also alters the duration of one of the phases preceding revenue generation in the dairy system. The heifer spends less time exclusively in rearing before starting her first lactation, as long as she meets the conditions specified in the management adopted by the property.
Transition is monitored before the start of lactation
Monitoring continues during the transition period, when health changes near calving can coincide with production and reproductive losses. The property uses electronic collars to track the animals and identify changes that indicate the need for intervention.
The numbers presented show discrepancies between cows classified as healthy and those that experienced one or more health issues. At the average peak considered by the farm, healthy cows reached 46.5 liters per day, while the sick ones averaged 32 liters.
The difference also appeared in reproduction. The conception rate was 50% for healthy cows and 25% for those that had health issues.
Culling within 60 days remained at 3% in the first group and 6% in the second. The first artificial insemination occurred, on average, at 77 days in lactation for healthy cows and at 100 days for those that experienced health problems.
The indicators help explain why farm management does not end when the heifer reaches weight or gives birth. The performance of the next lactation continues to be related to the health and reproductive monitoring adopted during the transition.
Reproduction Changes with Animal Category
The property also employs different reproductive strategies for each group. For heifers, the focus is on replacement control and early calving; among first-time mothers, planned breeding and resynchronization are prioritized to reduce fertility losses.
For multiparous cows, management may include fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI), embryo transfer (ET), and in vitro fertilization (IVF), depending on the reproductive service. Cows with repeated services may receive embryos or participate in IVF programs.
General indicators tracked these changes. The pregnancy rate reported by the property increased from 12% to 26%, while the service rate rose from 40% to 65%.
Overall conception improved from 28% to 40%. In the first FTAI, the reported rate ranged between 45% and 50%.
Monitoring of the indicators is consolidated weekly and used by the team in management decisions. Explaining this routine, Tiago Carneiro summed up the property’s logic with the phrase: “Without measurement, there is no management.”
Execution follows a cycle of training, standardization, checking, and correction, aimed at keeping the defined protocols aligned with daily operations. In the presentation, this idea also appeared in the statement that “the protocol only works when the operations work.”
The management of operational processes involves Ana Elisa Negrão P. Barreto, Carneiro’s wife. She was introduced as responsible for the operational management of the property, a role connected to the daily execution of protocols applied to the calf barn, rearing, reproduction, and other stages of management.
