how to select replacement heifershow to select replacement heifers

If CED is not reported, the sires EPD for birth weight should be considered. Take time during the winter months to determine your herds production and profitability goals. . Nevertheless, it remains common to develop an operations own heifer calves as potential replacements, and these selection decisions should be made with long-term profitability in mind. Your numbers will be different than your neighbors, though, so it is possible that developing heifers is actually the most profitable thing you do. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Likewise, if heifers have been exposed to bulls inadvertently at some point during the development program, heifers that have already become pregnant can be identified. Therefore, genomic testing of replacement heifers may have value at any point in which genetic merit is considered during the selection process. When making selection decisions to improve fertility it is important to remember that genetic gain in herds is predominately driven by sire selection. Will they mature into cows that match available resources? Funston. Cushman R A,L K Kill,R N Funston,E M Mousel,G A Perry. Breeding Resource: Research Looks At Heifer Synchronization Protocols. While Ive seen rapid genetic change in cattle herds, Id hesitate to call a lot of it improvement.. Former Ag Technology Editor and Deputy Machinery Editor for Successful Farming magazine, Agriculture.com, and the Successful Farming TV Show. Traits that are of the most economic value to self-replacing herds are reproductive traits including age at first calving, reproductive success and reproductive longevity or stayability. After pregnancy status is determined, heifers should again be screened for health, structural problems, and disposition issues that may have arisen during the breeding period or may have gone unobserved previously. If the operation does not have the number of acceptable heifer calves needed based on the calculated replacement rate and assumptions related to screening and selection, carefully assess records to determine the cause. Sometimes an environmental effect might limit our ability to capture the value of the genetics. Replacement Heifers - Management and Nutrition - Merck Veterinary Manual If you cant produce heifers for cheaper than you can buy similar-quality heifers, dont develop your own. Our purchased bulls must have birth weight, weaning weight and yearling weight Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) in the top 10% of their breed. Long-term research efforts have made it clear that heifers conceiving early in their first breeding season stay in the herd longer, wean more total calves due to their longer productive life in the herd, and wean older and therefore heavier calves each year. Independent estimates of the accuracy of genetic tests are not available for all breeds and tests on the market. Buying Vs. Raising Replacement Heifers - Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Typically only a subset of heifers are replacement candidates due to size, other selection criteria (e.g. what proportion of replacement heifers are selected to return to the herd each year). In herds with widely varied mature cow size, use of a higher target weight of 65% may minimize risk of under-developing heifers. If you select heifers mostly on weaning size, you can gradually and unknowingly select for frame-size creep. How to select quality replacement heifers - Farm and Dairy Ive seen a lot of herds that changed growth rates of calves very quickly, but they also ended up with bigger cows, lower pregnancy rates, fewer cows run and/or significantly higher feed costs. Its Whats For Dinner. Then select change Categories. Remember, in most situations, the open heifers are a nice profit center. Likewise, some heifers are likely to fail to become pregnant during the breeding period. Even if those are just days grazed on cheap forage, that resource could be used more profitably. Selection of Replacement Heifers for Commercial Beef Cattle Operations Use Esc key to go back to input search field. When comparing heifers that became pregnant at similar points in the breeding season and have similar genetic merit, consider also the production records and performance of the heifers dams. However, if resources or financial considerations do not allow for the development of such a large number of replacement candidates, more stringent screening criteria with respect to age and genetic merit can reduce the number of heifers developed post-weaning. These tips from Nebraska Extension Beef Educator Aaron Berger and his colleagues at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will help you make good choices. Nothing we evaluated, however, either by itself or in combination, could explain even 15% of the variation in the outcomes. A breeding season of 30 days or less. Reviewed by: Sandy Stuttgen, Ryan Sterry and Bill Halfman, UW-Madison Extension Agriculture Educator Taylor County, and Agriculture Agents in St. Croix and Monroe Counties, respectively. For registered seedstock breeders, you are probably missing an opportunity if you are not genomic testing almost everything. One body condition score is approximately 75 lbs. Production records are one tool in the selection process. As such, a heifer developed as a candidate will only be retained as a replacement if the heifer conceives early and meets other desired selection criteria. Measurements will be reported in centimeters, with height and width measurements multiplied together to calculate pelvic area in square centimeters. Keeping feed and forage costs in check requires matching the cow and herd size to available feed resources. To select replacement heifers a multiple-trait maternal selection index was developed that included maternal, pre-weaning performance, post-weaning performance, and carcass traits. Title: Executive Editor, Agronomy & Technology Resides In: Ankeny, Iowa Hometown: Rochester, New York Education: Simpson College Expertise: Agriculture technology, livestock, agronomy Twitter:@BedordLaurie Summary. Feed high-quality grass or hay, Accuration Liquid Supplement or Accuration Hi-Fat Block, and Wind and Rain Storm Cattle Mineral. When developing replacements, heifers need to reach an adequate target weight to permit attainment of puberty prior to the start of the breeding season. Thats why we should ignore some phenotypes when selecting a bull. Rather, he reminds, you want heifers that fit your resource base, stick around, breed early every year, raise calves with excellent growth and carcass characteristics, and hit the right mature cow weight. That is because sires have a larger number of offspring per year (approximately 25-35) than females who typically have a single calf per year. "It pays off greatly over the life of a cow in pounds of calves weaned and her herd longevity," he says. Consider also specific Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) values that are relevant to the operation. A 65% target weight is also recommended if pre-breeding reproductive evaluations in previous years have suggested that nutritional development was less than adequate in the past. All Rights Reserved. Her coverage expanded to include precision farming technology and livestock. Genomic test results provide an estimate of the genetic merit of heifers. 6. In the upcoming year, increased feed costs to support heifer development will need to be analyzed to determine financial feasibility. The objectives of selection and management of heifers and first-calf cows can be summarised as follows: To make the productive life of heifers as long as possible by getting them pregnant at a relatively young age. This number used to be a little higher, about two thirds of mature weight. | 4. If we consider that producers are likely to have at least a visual estimate of weight, and possibly some information on the age of the heifer, utilizing this information would further decrease the breakeven value of the information provided by genomics testing. Many commercial cow-calf operations find it more economical to purchase bred heifers or even bred cows rather than developing heifer calves as replacements. You often hear the word phenotype used to refer just to the visual appearance of the animal. This target weight is especially encouraged if heifers are known to be later-maturing. In the phenotype of his actual birthweight, that genetic effect is totally confounded by environmental: how old his dam was, what was she fed, what the year was like, etc. For economic weightings it was assumed that the producer was retaining ownership through feeding and marketing the cattle on a value based grid. Connecting people with the University of Wisconsin. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Laurie also oversees the publication of the SF College Edition. A conventional thought might be to develop 20 heifer calves as replacement heifer candidates. If investing in genomic testing, thoughtfully consider what proportion of the heifer calves should be tested and at what point in the development process testing should occur. Select heifers from older cows as these cows are successful in the current production system, as replacement heifers must grow and develop in similar feeding conditions. We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities. Selecting your Replacement Heifers to Meet Long-term Herd Goals For heifers you would consider retaining as replacements - remember, that's the early conceiving heifers - use that information to decide which to sell and which to retain. Heifers with a reproductive tract score of 2 are peripubertal and estimated to be over 30 days from reaching puberty. At the end of the day, a commitment to select early calving, high-quality replacement heifers is probably the single-most impactful reproductive management practice there is. If increased size is due to age then this will put indirect selection on fertility traits of the dam (e.g. View all agriculture and environment programs, Continuing Education for Health Professions, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, Agricultural Business and Policy Extension, Exceed - Regional Economic and Entrepreneurial Development, Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Center, Missouri Small Business Development Centers, Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, Veterinary Extension and Continuing Education, Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition, Video: Reproductive Tract Scoring Beef Heifers, Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program, Mizzou Repro Reproductive Management of Beef Cattle, equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. Reproductive tract scores, ranging from 1 to 5, are a direct evaluation of the reproductive maturity of a heifer via transrectal palpation of the reproductive tract (Figure 4). Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. For this purpose, the first day of the calving season can be considered as 285 days (approximate length of gestation) after the start of the previous breeding season. "You can hope that her heifer calves live as productive a life as she did," says Rasby. It shows that if a cow gets a little protein bump in her diet the last trimester, the calf is programmed for a more productive life in either the feedlot or as a replacement female. Using the method that follows, its possible to achieve very efficient cows that get pregnant. Jordan ThomasAssistant Professor, Animal Sciences. Early-born heifers also have higher rates of puberty attainment prior to the start of their first breeding season. They can hurt you.". For most commercial producers, this screening would occur at weaning or at the end of a preconditioning program. Set replacement heifers up to take the place of existing females and be better than your current cow herd. For economic weightings it was assumed that the producer was retaining ownership through feeding and marketing the cattle on a value based grid. Maintaining herd records on cow productivity could include; calving date, birth weights, weaning weights, calving assistance, calf survivability, cow BCS, cow characteristics, calving intervals, and temperament. In this system, assuming a typical replacement rate, we need to replace 15 cows per year with bred heifers. Blindness from a bad case of pinkeye is a phenotype. Burke Teichert, consultant on strategic planning for ranches, is retired as vice president and general manager of Deseret. If you start with 150 heifers, a pregnancy rate of 67% will result in 100 pregnant heifers. Calves can do that on grazing and reasonable supplementation if the grazing is available. 16 practical tips for selecting productive replacement heifers Once your heifers are confirmed bred, they should be thrown in with your mature cows - if they are not already with the cows. With this understanding, it is necessary to test more heifers than will be ultimately retained. Of course, additional females will be needed if an increase in herd numbers is desired. Breed extra heifers. Lastly, an additional benefit of reproductive tract scoring is that a veterinarian can identify heifers with abnormal or incomplete tracts (e.g., Freemartinism) as well as heifers with treatable conditions (e.g., an ovarian cyst). Selecting replacement heifers using production records, herd goals, and available resources allows producers to manage feed costs and improve heifer selection. "As for calmness, I like cows that are protective. A target weight of 65% of mature weight may involve higher feed inputs but ensures heifers are adequately developed. Knowing which heifers look good on paper can help keep you from selecting only one trait, like body size. Decisions relative to replacement females are economically consequential for the farm or ranch. Remember, if you are calving just before or after the start of green grass, the heifer will have two or more months on green grass before breeding. To get a high percentage of heifers (90%+) pregnant in a short breeding season of 90 days or less. For heifers you would consider retaining as replacements remember, thats the early conceiving heifers use that information to decide which to sell and which to retain. Short-term and long-term financials of the farm or ranch should be considered, as the target selected can have a substantial impact on the development costs incurred per replacement retained. Ranchers select high quality cows to produce high quality offspring. cows, they need to gain about 1.25 lbs./day from weaning (at 6-7 months of age) until breeding season. The environment is now beginning to select those heifers that can, and cant, do what we want. "I don't want cows that are overly aggressive. There is a genetic component to phenotype, and it may be trivial or it may be very large depending on the heritability. In 1997, the dairy operation was moved to Iowa. These considerations should include feet and leg structure, udder quality, muscling, and other aspects that can be evaluated visually. I have now learned different. Beef Heifer Development and Lifetime Productivity Beef Improvement Federation Annual Conference Proceedings 2014. Awards, North American Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) Third Place Technical Article | 2022 NAAJ Third Place Feature Article | 2021 NAAJ Honorable Mention Feature Article | 2019 NAAJ First Place Series Article | 2018 American Agricultural Editors Association (AAEA) First Place Human Interest Article | 2016 Folio Eddie & Ozzie Editor of the Year Award | 2015 AAEA First Place On-Farm Production Article | 2014 AAEA Master Writer Award | 2012 AAEA Third Place Technical Feature Article | 2011 NAAJ Honorable Mention Feature Article | 2011 AAEA Third Place Issues Article | 2010 NAAJ Honorable Mention Special Projects Article | 2010 min Editorial & Design Honorable Mention Technical Feature Article | 2010, BA in Journalism from Simpson College in 2004. If a bull is lame from a random hoof injury, we may not be able to capture the value of his genetics even if, ironically, he had genetic merit for exceptional feet and legs. If you have enough early conceiving heifers to choose from, it just makes sense to use a genomic test to identify the best of the best to retain. Improvements in cow-calf production due to heterosis result from both the improved maternal performance of the crossbred cow (conception rate, percent born alive, percent weaned, age of puberty, milk production and increased longevity) and individual performance of the crossbred calf (percent born alive, percent weaned, weaning growth). You may even be able to buy better heifers than you can raise, bred to calve exactly when you need them to. An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements. The following is an example comparison of intensive versus extensive heifer development systems using a 100-cow herd. Prior to breeding the heifers, we booster their weaning vaccinations and administer the initial shots for lepto and vibrio. Ruff, G. Goals for Your Cow Herd in 2020. He can be reached at [emailprotected]. What day of the calving season is feasible for use as a cutoff will vary based on the current productivity level of the herd. Some ranchers like to use AI on first-calf heifers. To improve cow-calf profitability, produc-ers need to adjust their replacement strategies.A study of replacement strategies by Iowa StateUniversity in 2001 examined production andfinancial data from 1970 to 1999. | Improving the profitability and sustainability of beef cattle production systems through reproductive extension, education, and applied research. Theoretically, DNA tests are ideally suited for traits where there is no other tool available for selection. J Anim Sci . For example, poor shedding of the winter hair coat during summer months is associated with lower productivity in most environments. One of our nutrition experts may be able to help. Reducing Replacement Heifer Development Costs Using a Systems Approach University of Nebraska Extension Publication G2215, 2013. For example, in a herd with a 90-day calving season, only those heifers born in the first 45 days of the calving season would be considered for development. If the hay is less than about 12% protein, a little alfalfa or other protein supplement could be added. It should be noted these calculations are based on the value of genomic information to make heifer replacement decisions in a commercial beef herd. For the herd with 45 replacement heifers the potential investment would be $1080. Moreover, some heifers that conceive simply may not be profitable investments to retain as replacements. Commercial producers typically select on at least a visual estimate of a heifers yearling weight, in addition to a visual evaluation of structural soundness. Adapted from Anderson et al., 1991, Agri Practice 12(4):123-128. Typical cow-calf operations often assume a replacement rate of around 15% (e.g., 15 bred replacement females for a herd with 100 cows at the start of the breeding season). They're individually pelvic measured and must meet a minimum pelvic area to be retained. The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program provides a good example of a standardized expectation and evaluation process for commercial replacement females. Heifers with a reproductive tract score of 3 are also peripubertal but estimated to be within 30 days from reaching puberty. 2020-41595-30123 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. In my experience across several ranches, weve had pregnancy rates from 65% to 85%, but they get better with time, and your ability to predict them gets quite good after two years. Additionally, consider using service sires with greater accuracies for CED or birth weight when servicing heifers. That is because a very large amount of data (e.g., a large number of performance records) will be required to develop accurate DNA tests for lowly heritable traits. Cows calve, calves grow, and replacement heifers are selected. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Of course, genetic merit should also be considered when selecting which bred heifers to retain as replacements. Until final selection decisions can be made after pregnancy determination, heifers developed for breeding are best considered to be only replacement candidates (Figure 1). If planning to use a progestin-based estrus synchronization protocol, a common recommendation is to ensure that over 50% of the heifers have reached puberty prior to the start of the estrus synchronization protocol. As the industry enters expansion phase, give upgrades the best chance of success. 3. Heifers are cows that have not had their first calf yet - think teenagers - full of spunk and personality at this age. However, a lower target weight of 55% can be effective and economical in many cases. Just as purchasing a new herd bull can directly impact genetic improvement, selecting replacement heifers that match your production goals and available resources can impact the bottom line. It's expansion time, and most cowherds will be participating. "You can hope that her heifer calves live as productive a life as she did," says Rasby. Calculate backwards, starting with the desired number of replacement heifers retained.