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The Midwest Cattleman %u00b7 October 24, 2024 %u00b7 P21OR SEE AN MFA DEALERZeitlow Distributing - McPherson, KS %u2022 800-364-1605 %u2022 Boonville, MO %u2022 800-530-5158SoMo Agri Supply - Springfield, MO %u2022 800-725-1880%u2022 Animals instinctively open our fiaps%u2022 Our fiaps will not freeze like ball closures do%u2022 We have less water contamination from animal wastes%u2022 Ten Models - For a few animals or for the largest feedyardsWWW.PRIDEOFTHEFARM.COM 800-553-1791Central Missouri Feed & Supply - 2707 W Rt F %u2022 Clark, MO %u2022 573-881-1798 threebarl@hotmail.com%u201cProper heifer development is key to a successful cattle herd and profitable operation,%u201d says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. As herds rebuild from drought or old cow turnover due to favorable prices, heifer development is taking place to build the next cow herd. Also, as cattle producers look to buy replacement heifers, this can be a way to add value to your cattle operation.Davis provides some management strategies to consider in heifer development to produce a female that will be successful to you and your customer%u2019s operation.%u201cNutritional management is important to heifer development,%u201d says Davis. Manage heifers to 55% to 65% of their mature body weight prior to the breeding season. This range depends on animal type and environment. Body condition score (BCS), which evaluates animal condition or fat cover on a 1 to 9 scale, is linked to heifer energy status and reproductive performance. Manage heifer BCS at a 5 to 6 prior to the breeding season to achieve optimum pregnancy rates. %u201cThe prebreeding exam is important to heifer development,%u201d says Davis. This exam is done by a veterinarian through rectal palpation 30-60 days before the breeding season to help determine if the heifers are reproductively sound to become pregnant during the breeding season. The prebreeding exam includes measuring the pelvic area (PA) and evaluating the reproductive tract (RT), which is scored on a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 being infantile and 4 and 5 being mature enough to become pregnant. For optimum heifer pregnancy rates, heifers should have an RTS of 3 or greater. PA (pelvic width x height) measurement determines if the heifer%u2019s pelvis is large enough to pass a calf with ease. Based on Missouri Show Me Select (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program requirements, heifers need to measure a PA of at least 150 cm2 at prebreeding. Heifers with smaller PA can be remeasured at pregnancy check within 90 days of the start of the breeding season but must measure 180 cm2 at this time. If heifers fail both measurements, they should be culled. Davis suggests utilizing this protocol along with breeding heifers to a calving ease sire to reduce calving difficulty issues. %u201cUse genomic testing to retain heifers with optimum genetics for you and your customer%u2019s operation,%u201d says Davis. Furthermore, if you are planning to sell these replacement heifers, this information helps in marketing and may lead to premiums. Davis suggests using the proper test based on the heifer breed and desired information. Davis suggests using artificial insemination (AI) to breed replacement heifers because of the many benefits to you and your customer%u2019s operation:%u2022AI-bred heifers typically sell at a higher value compared to natural service (NS) bred heifers. This is probably due to confidence in genetic quality of the calf and calving date.%u2022AI-bred heifers will calve earlier in the calving season which means calves should be older and heavier at weaning than their NS counterparts.%u2022AI-born calves have better genetic quality than NS calves. When selecting AI bulls, it is important to use sires that are high accuracy for the traits that are important to you and your customer%u2019s operation. This increases the likelihood that AI-sired calves will perform better than NS-sired calves in these operations.%u201cUse an estrus synchronization protocol and have a good plan in place if you plan to utilize AI,%u201d says Davis. %u201cHeifer breeding season should be relatively short,%u201d he says. Use a 60 day or less breeding season and cull any open heifers following the breeding season. This promotes retaining highly fertile heifers since they are more likely to conceive and become pregnant in the short breeding window. This also increases heifer likelihood of rebreeding and being retained in the herd after their first calf is weaned. Calves of these heifers will be born earlier in the calving season, which increases their chances of being older and heavier at weaning.%u201cPregnancy check and cull open heifers at approximately 90 days after the beginning of the breeding season,%u201d says Davis. This allows for fetal sexing the calf and a more accurate calving date to be determined for you and your customer%u2019s operation. The quicker these open heifers are identified and sold, the more valuable they are to the feed yard. Also, operation profitability is improved by not wasting feed resources on Rebuild your cow herd with proper heifer developmentcontinued on page 25