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Synchronization Pays
ELDON COLE
MT. VERNON, MO.
Our first article about the Show-Me-Select program and it’s added value should be taken to heart if you’re trying to boost your herd’s profitability. You don’t have to dig very deep to see that buyers pay more for synchronized and AI-bred heifers.
A grad student of Dr. Jordan Thomas’ and a veterinary candidate, Emily Smith, wrote in the Cattlemen’s News why this simple process makes money. She said it involves placing a CIDR in a heifer at pre-breeding exam. Pull it out 14 days later and she should conceive one cycle (21 days) sooner than non-CIDR heifers. That 21-day earlier calving results in about a 45 lb. heavier calf at weaning. The earlier calving date also gives her a better chance of breeding back for her second calf. All of this is attainable for the price of a CIDR and an extra trip through the chute. Are you taking advantage of these little bits of technology to enhance the bottom line of your beef cow enterprise? ∆
ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri
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