Weaning is fast approaching for a lot of beef cattle operations which will involve selecting and retaining a portion of the heifer drop for replacement females. There are several factors to consider when selecting which heifers to retain.
Temperament
Temperament is extremely important in a breeding operation and careful consideration should be given to retaining heifers that display good temperaments. Heifers with poor temperaments not only present a risk to people handling them, but they can also come at an increased cost through extra maintenance on handling facilities, increased handling time, and lowered performance on feed as well as continuing the temperament trait through their offspring. Research has also shown that animals with excitable temperament have can have poorer immune responses.
Structure
Structural correctness is paramount in forming a good foundation for a beef breeding enterprise and should be a priority when selecting those replacement females. Profitability of a breeding operation can be reduced if animals are not structurally correct. Longevity of the breeding life of a female can be substantially decreased if structure is not considered when selecting replacement females.
The structural considerations for heifers include feet and legs, jaw, udder structure (teat placement), and set up through both the front and back end (shoulder and pelvic area). Getting the structure right will help ensure that females remain in the breeding herd for a long time.
Critical mating weights
This is the target weight for maiden heifers when they are first joined to ensure 85% of the heifers are cycling when first exposed to a bull, and to ensure as many heifers as possible go in calf in those first 2 reproductive cycles. The actual weights will vary depending on the mature weight of the cow herd and expected weight gain between joining and calving, but guidelines are 280kg – 320kg for British bred females and 300kg – 340kg for Euro/Bos Indicus females.
Breed for your target markets
When selecting heifers to keep as replacements, it is important to consider how their progeny align with your target markets. It is essential for your target market that the breed or cross aligns with the particular program that you intend to supply. For example, supplying either British cross steers or heifers, Black Angus cross or Black Angus into a feedlot program would significantly influence the type of heifers that would be kept as replacement females.
Structure, temperament and growth are all heritable traits, and as such, can be improved by selecting animals that are exhibiting more desirable traits.
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