What weight should I breed heifers?
Most results indicate that we can develop heifers to 51%-58% of mature body weight and achieve very acceptable pregnancy rates. If your average cow weighs 1,390 lbs. (and many do), a heifer would need to weigh 904 lbs. at breeding in a traditional system, but only 709-806 lbs., according to the recent research.
What is a reasonable target weight at breeding for a heifer with an expected mature weight of 1000 lbs?
If you want the average age at first calving to be 22 months and the average size of your mature cows is 1,000 pounds, by breeding (13 months of age) your heifers should weigh 550 pounds. Then they should be grown out to weigh 850 pounds after they calve.
What is the average weight of heifer on time of mating?
According to the American Angus Association, the average mature cow weight is 1,200 pounds. Heifers from 1,200-pound mothers will need to weigh about 780 pounds by the start of the first breeding season. If the mature size of the herd is 1,100 pounds, then the heifers can be about 715 pounds when breeding begins.
Can a cow be too fat to breed?
If cows come into the dry period over-conditioned, they’re already preconditioned to breeding delays in their next lactation. If cows come into the dry period over-conditioned, they’re already preconditioned to breeding delays in their next lactation.
What age should I breed my heifers?
Most heifers will reach puberty and be bred by 12 to 14 months of age and will be between 55% and 65% of their mature weight when they first begin to exhibit estrous cycles.
What age is best to breed heifers?
Heifers should reach puberty from 1 to 3 mo before the average age that heifers are to be bred. For example, in order for heifers to be bred as yearlings and to calve at 2 yr of age, they should have reached puberty by 12 to 14 mo of age.
How big do Holstein heifers get?
Holstein heifers should reach 750 to 800 pounds and 48 to 50 inches by the desired breeding age of 13 to 15 months. After calving, heifers should weigh 1,137 to 1,296 pounds and measure 52 to 55 inches tall at the withers.
How long does it take a calf to reach 500 lbs?
At 6-9 months of age the calves are weaned off their dams and placed in a field or pen with other calves of a similar age and weight. Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs at weaning.
How do cattle increase fertility?
Another method for enhancing reproductive performance potential is to simply breed heifers as yearlings in a short breeding season (45 days). In other words, if you make it difficult for heifers to breed the first time, only the most fertile will enter the herd.
How do I know if my cow is overweight?
BCS of 5: This is the point where the bovine is considered obese. The animal will have a blocky look about it, with a dominating flat appearance. The brisket will be heavy with fat, and the hips and tailhead of the animal will be pretty well buried in fat.
How soon can you breed a cow after calving?
It takes at least 30 days after calving for a cow’s reproductive tract to return to normal. Therefore, some cows can be bred starting 45-60 days after calving. Your veterinarian should palpate the reproductive tract of each cow as soon after 30 days after calving as possible to make sure the cow is ready to breed.
How big do heifers get in breeding season?
The Fort Keogh research is finding that heifers from the non-restricted group can enter the breeding season at 57% of mature weight, or around 700 pounds. The heifers from restricted dams enter breeding season at 54% of mature eight, or around 650 pounds.
What’s the best way to breed a heifer?
One of the real keys to getting heifers bred is to have them gaining weight at time of breeding. Excellent studies from Purdue University and the University of Wyoming indicate poor conception rates when heifers are well-developed up until breeding and then turned out on grass, where they lose weight.
How much weight should a replacement beef heifer gain?
Replacement beef heifers should attain 65 to 70% of their potential mature weight by the time they are bred at 14-15 months of age. This would mean that heifers should gain an average of 1.25 to 1.75 lb. per day from weaning to first breeding or 250 to 350 lbs. during the first winter (depending on breed).
How is the birth weight of a heifer determined?
Dividing pelvic area by a conversion factor (table 2), based on heifer age and weight, will then estimate the birth weight of a calf that a heifer should be able to deliver without difficulty. This does not estimate the birth weight of a heifer’s calf, but rather provides an estimate of how big of a calf she could safely deliver.
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