Hardy heifers: Herd's youngest females will make a difference in profits 10 years from now

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

October 3, 2002 -- As the cost of farm-related labor and equipment continues to rise, among other things, cattle producers are always looking for a way to make their operation more economically feasible.

According to Dr. L.R. Sprott, Extension beef specialist, a good fresh start for cattleman looking to ease costly burdens, would be to focus more seriously on producing heifers that are cheaper to get pregnant.

"Heifers are your future," stated Sprott at a recent Build East Texas (BET) seminar in Longview. "It's the heifers you have now that are going to make the difference for you in the next 10 to 12 years. They deserve a lot of attention and care."

Sprott said a fertile heifer (one that gets pregnant early in it's first breeding season) will be a fertile cow.

He explained that these particular females will wean a calf annually throughout their lifetime. And that a cow's ability to do this depends heavily on her performance as a heifer.

"There is no question that selecting the right heifers, rearing them properly, and getting them bred early in their first breeding season has long-term positive impacts on herd production and profitability," stated Sprott.

The specialist advised the attendees at the BET seminar that if this were the route they choose to take, the first step would be to have their heifers calve around the first two years of age.

"That means getting her bred at 14 to 16 months of age," he explained. "She needs to be sexually mature and cycling. Remember, her first estrous is not going to be as fertile as the following heat period."

For optimal fertility, get the heifer past the first estrous before she is bred and strive for the second cycle or beyond, he explained.

"Many people wait to calve their heifers at three years of age. That's way too expensive for today's world," said Sprott. "Early conceivers will be more productive and profitable throughout life."

He also said heifers that fail to become pregnant should be culled.

"Be sure to sell any heifer that does not conceive, or any heifer that conceives late (last 40 days of an 80-day breeding period)," he explained. "Holding them for six months may allow them to reach puberty and achieve pregnancy rates of 90 percent.

"Open heifers held over for a second chance, means the cost per pregnancy achieved can be twice the cost per pregnancy in those that conceived during the first attempt at breeding."

To achieve proper management of heifers for early conception and calving, Sprott said there are at least four prime keys to remember:

1. When selecting replacement heifers, choose among those born in the first 60 days of calving. They are the oldest and easiest to manage for proper weight, which dictates the onset of puberty.

2. Provide adequate nutrition from weaning to first breeding (15 months of age) to ensure they reach at least 65 to 70 percent of their expected mature weight before breeding starts.

3. Give appropriate vaccines, which protect against reproductive diseases and use internal parasite control (consult your veterinarian).

4. Consider using estrous synchronization at first breeding to force heifers to cycle at least twice in the first 21 days of breeding (once at the time of synchrony, and again 21 days later for those not conceiving at synchrony).

Sprott said by following these steps in heifer management on an annual basis will result in a set of mature cows that anybody would be proud to own.

He also said he is aware that these steps obviously place a lot of pressure on heifers to perform. But, those that can perform, are very fertile, more productive, and more profitable.