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Profitability of calving heifers Beef cow efficiency Why calve heifers Why not calve heifers Performance of heifers in industry How to calve heifers Outline The

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1. Yearling heifer matingRebecca Hickson

2. Profitability of calving heifersBeef cow efficiencyWhy calve heifersWhy not calve heifersPerformance of heifers in industryHow to calve heifersOutline

3. The 2-year-olds will be there anywayHow much extra has it cost you to feed them to support pregnancy and lactation?More calves = more income from the beef herdWhat is an extra calf worth?The costs and the income

4. Assume heifers are 346 kg at 15 months (joining), 484 kg at 31 months (weaning)Calves are 34 kg at birth, 232 kg at weaning at 208 days of age; 6 kg milk/dayPasture is 11 MJ ME per kg DMNon pregnant heifer eats 2565 kg DMHeifer and calf eat 3713 kg DM An extra 1149 kg DM (45%) over empty heiferAt 12c/kg DM this is an extra $138 in feed eatenExample of extra costs

5. Example of extra income232 kg weaner at $2.20/kg = $510??

6. Beef cows are exceptionally inefficient70% of feed requirements are for maintenanceEfficiency depends onNumber of calves weanedWeight of calves weanedFeed requirements (live weight) of cowsEfficiency (or lack of it)

7. Smaller cows – breed and EBVsBigger calves – breed and EBVs, ‘milky’ cowsMore calvesNational calving percentage hardly changed in 20 years Getting calves from the 2-year-old heifers increases number of calves far more than any tweaking of calving percentage of mature cowsIncreasing efficiency

8. Why calve 2-year-olds?Survey of 331 farmers in charge of 16,000 heifersReasonImportant or very importantIncreased profit80%Shorter unproductive period of heifers78%More calves per cow over her lifetime66%Increased rate of genetic gain50%Earlier selection of replacements40%Reduces mature size (maintenance) of heifers28%

9. Why NOT calve heifers?ReasonImportant or very importantConcerned about rebreeding of 2yo heifers60%Need mob (empty R2 heifers) that can be fed less when required51%Stunting of heifers mature size49%High dystocia in 2yo heifers37%Requires different management skills37%Want a higher pregnancy rate than could be achieved at 15 months37%Returns do not justify the extra costs23%

10. Based on a simulated farm with a fixed feed supply, and assuming an assisted birth killed 36% of calves and 11% of heifers… More profitable to calve 2yo heifers than 3yo heifers as long as incidence of assistance remained below 89%Simulated profitability and dystocia

11. 86% pregnant per heifer joined78% calves marked per heifer joined9.6% heifers assisted at calvingOf 386 assisted births:36% of calves died 11% of heifers died84% of heifers that calved at 2 calved again at 37% were empty, 9% culled for other reasons or diedIndustry performance of 2yo heifers

12. Well grownReach puberty (mean live weight 297 kg for Angus heifers)Get a ‘head start’ on the calf – reduce dystociaGet heifers ready for joining

13. All about the EBVs!Direct calving ease (higher is better)Birth weight Accuracy: is birth weight measured in the herd you are buying from? Do they calve their 2 year olds?Shape is of little (no?) importance, just birth weightDaughters’ calving ease EBV useful if choosing a bull to father your replacementsChoosing the right bulls

14. Feeding in early pregnancy does not affect dystociaLosing 560 g/d from 6-12w of gestation reduced milk productionFeeding in late pregnancy does not affect dystocia reliablyUnderfeeding can reduce milk yield, calf weight and pregnancy rate to rebreedingKeep them within the range of ‘normal’, neither very thin or very fatFeeding during pregnancy

15. Where do you calve them? How often do you observe them?At what point do you assist?Management at calving

16. Cull heifers that don’t get pregnant at 15 monthsDystocia at first calving does not imply future dystociaRebreeding at 2 not a big problem (?)Rebreeding & cullingLinePost-partum anoestrus interval (days)Pregnancy rate to second joiningAngus10191%Angus x Friesian9796%Angus x Jersey90100%

17. Try it!But choose your bull wiselyThanks to Beef + Lamb NZ for funding the research underpinning this talk

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