There’s some flexibility around good cows that aren’t pregnant, depending on the philosphy of the ranch, but poor-productivity cows should be culled, livestock nutritionist Peter Vitti says.
Tag Archives replacement heifers
High prices make cow culling decisions easier
Better Bunks and Pastures: There’s some flexibility around good cows that aren’t pregnant, but poor cows should be culled
Give special attention to first-calved beef heifers
Better Bunks and Pastures: Getting heifers ready for their next pregnancy is the goal of a nutrition program specifically for them
Heifers that have calves for the first time need special attention, and getting them ready for their next pregnancy is the goal of a nutrition program specifically for them.
Teamwork from a cow’s perspective
Costs of Production: How are you as a herd manager hitting the salary cap and identifying players that don’t fit?
Managing a herd of cows can be much like managing a sport team, as explained by Sean McGrath of Ranching Systems Ltd.
Reframing the view on heifer retention
Expanded screening tools can take the guesswork out of choosing replacement heifers
Replacing heifers based on visual phenotype and genetic merit, rather than early screening, leaves potential long-term herd retention on the table, University of Missouri animal scientist Jordan Thomas says.
DNA testing can have value in commercial beef sector
Costs of Production: There are advantages to testing some cows, heifers, bulls and calves
There is growing interest in the commercial beef industry around using DNA to inform selection decisions. While traditionally the realm of the seedstock industry, commercial DNA testing and changes in the way we manage cattle have led to some big changes in how we think about genetic selection. DNA testing, in broad terms, means using […] Read more
Take care of first-calf beef cows after calving
Keep them separate from older cows and a different ration could make sense
Despite some market volatility, the good value of all cattle is holding for the time being. That’s a good thing because last year, many cow-calf operators bred more replacement heifers that are now calving or about to calve. Some of these producers told me they throw them into their main cowherd if they are big […] Read more
The teenage years, beef cow edition
First-calf beef heifers are going through the biggest challenges of their lives and need some support
Anyone reading this column who has been a teenager or has raised one can appreciate how challenging and interesting those years can be. Even good teenagers can be expensive. In our beef cattle production systems, the teenage role is filled by replacement heifers, and like teenagers a bit of understanding about the changes they are […] Read more
Balancing low cost with enough nutrition
Use caution when feeding low-quality forage to dairy replacement heifers
Most dairy producers always look for ways to reduce the livestock feed costs. Some people have taken advantage that three-month-old replacement dairy heifers have a fully developed rumen and can truly digest lower quality/cost forages. There is nothing wrong in feeding this way, but these forages must be well balanced with other more nutritious feedstuffs […] Read more
Keeping replacement heifers in ideal body condition
You don't want them too thin or too fat — aim for somewhere in between
When weaned dairy calves are released from the calf barn and put into replacement heifer pens, there are different ways of feeding them. Some post-weaned heifers are not well fed and poor nutrition is almost guaranteed to make them struggle throughout their first lactation. Other replacement heifers are fed too well. As a result, they […] Read more
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