Page 22 - MWC 4-21-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 21, 2022 · P22
Spring 2022 Replacement Heifer Management Considerations

By Mark Z. Johnson mediately prior to
With much of the breeding season to
country in various meet target weight
degrees of drought and still have opti-
over the past sev- mum breeding per-
eral months, winter formance. Recent
grazing has been rains have added
generally poor for to the possibility
most of our state this could still be
this year. If you are done on cool season
selecting yearling grass pastures. Re-
heifers as replace- gardless of how you
ments for the cow- plan to feed heifers
herd there are sev- to get them to tar-
eral things to keep get weight, an iono-
in mind: phore in your feed-
- Typical “best ing program will be
management” goal cost effective, typi-
for development of cally adding an ad-
replacement heif- their mature weight by 14-15 summer. ditional .1-.2 pound
ers is to have them at 65% of months of age, only half will - If your heifers are behind /day of gain.
their mature weight by 14-15 be cycling. If this is the sit- on weight right now and your Fertility is very financial-
months of age. Research in- uation you find yourself in breeding season is still 30 – ly important in cow-calf op-
dicates 90% or more of heif- right now and your planned 60 days away, there is still erations. For spring calving
ers reaching this goal will be breeding season is in the time to catch them up. Pre- herds, now is the time to im-
cycling at the beginning of near future, adjust your rate vious research indicates heif- plement management prac-
breeding season and on tar- of heifer retention up accord- ers gaining approximately tices to keep heifers on track
get to calve at two-years of ingly, pregnancy check heif- only a half-pound/day for the to calve at two and primed to
age. ers as soon as possible after first 150 days post-weaning become productive cows.
- Research also indicates pulling bulls and market the can be fed to gain 2.5 pounds/
that if heifers are at 55% of open heifers as yearlings this day for the 45-60 days im-

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