KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Obtaining a pregnancy in
replacement heifers early in their first breeding season is ideal when raising
cattle. While it is important to maximize the productivity of calving season,
some drawbacks can arise. Justin Rhinehart, University of Tennessee Extension
beef cattle specialist, lends some advice and information on avoiding heifers
getting pregnant too early.
As a producer the main goal is to generate
profit, but it can become increasingly hard to earn a profit when managing
pregnant feeder heifers. “It doesn’t really matter if the pregnancy is caught
early, the cost of treating the heifers, decrease in feed efficiency, and potential
for decreased carcass quality creates a dramatic decrease in profitability,” explains
Rhinehart. He adds that the number of pregnant feedlot heifers has increased
recently, which reflects how much feedlot operators are willing to pay for
feeder heifers that are not guaranteed open (not pregnant).
It is becoming increasingly common for
producers to find heifers that are in their third trimester, when using the
practice of timed artificial insemination to kick off the heifers first
breeding season. Even if the calving is successful, it creates a cow and calf
that are no longer in sync with the calf crop and herd,” said Rhinehart. There
are a few ways to help avoid the extra cost involved in replacement heifer
development and decreased revenue for feeder heifers.
A way to avoid extra costs is to set a defined
calving season, this will help reduce the potential for heifers to get pregnant
too early. Rhinehart suggests removing herd sires after a 45- or 60-day
breeding season. “By removing the herd sires after the breeding season, it will
help to keep heifers from the current calf crop from being breed by the mature
bulls,” explained Rhinehart. Even in this case, Rhinehart says bull calves are
also reaching puberty earlier and, if not managed appropriately, can be a
source of the early pregnancies.
Many solutions can be utilized to avoid having
the heifers in the herd getting pregnant too early. It’s all about finding
which tactics work well in reaching the desired results.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrates 50 years of excellence in providing Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery and service. ag.tennessee.edu.
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Contact:
Justin Rhinehart, assistant professor and UT Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, jrhinehart@utk.edu, 931-486-2129