Replacement heifers are a lifeline to a herd’s success. This article highlights how to get them started right and reviews factors for a successful replacement heifer program.
Source: Beef, December 17, 2015.
Producers should look for heifers that display these characteristics: 1) a mature body size that matches the ranch resource availability; 2) an ability to get bred and pregnant early in the breeding season.
“The goal of a replacement heifer program is to have the heifer calve her second calf early in the calving season,” noted Brad White, DVM, MS, associate professor of production medicine at Kansas State University. “Heifers and cows that calve early in the season have more time to recover before breeding and have calves with higher weaning weights. It’s especially important for heifers to calve early in their first year as they have a longer period of post-partum anestrus and cannot be bred back as soon as a mature cow.”
INSIGHTS: DVMs and sales reps will find value sharing this article to producers whose success with replacement heifers has been suspect. The information is easy to understand and is good content for a clinic website or newsletter.