By Blake Jackson
Raising replacement heifers requires investment, but when managed correctly, it enhances herd productivity and longevity. Post-breeding management is a critical, yet often overlooked, component of a successful heifer development program.
The process begins with pregnancy diagnosis to identify non-pregnant heifers. Detecting open heifers early allows producers to decide whether to market them as heavy feeders or retain them for on-farm feeding. Delaying this decision may result in discounts due to excessive weight or frame size before marketing.
Recording breeding dates or having fetal aging performed by a veterinarian helps guide decisions on retaining or marketing bred heifers. Research compiled by Moorey and Biase (2020) reports first breeding season pregnancy rates ranging from 64% to 95%, averaging 85%.
First-cycle conception typically falls between 60% and 70%, while studies by Cushman et al. (2013) show around 7% of heifers conceiving in the third cycle despite exposure in earlier cycles. When replacements exceed herd needs, early versus late conception can help determine selection, with late-conceiving heifers often targeted first for marketing.
Selecting early-conceiving heifers offers advantages such as heavier weaning weights, better fertility in the second breeding season, improved lifetime productivity, and more manageable calving groups.
Heifers should be housed separately from mature cows and fed to reach approximately 85% of mature weight at calving, typically requiring 0.8 to 1.2 pounds of average daily gain. Both underfeeding and overfeeding increase the risk of calving difficulties, with underfeeding also impacting fetal programming and colostrum quality.
First-calf heifers experience higher stress and nutritional demands, so they should calve at a Body Condition Score (BCS) one point higher than mature cows usually 6 for heifers versus 5 for cows. Producers should monitor group uniformity and adjust feeding or regrouping to ensure all heifers develop appropriately.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jessicahyde
Categories: Wisconsin, Livestock, Beef Cattle