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Heifer Buying Tip
ELDON COLE
MT. VERNON, MO.
We emphasize the value of having cows that calve early in the calving season year-after-year. Reproduction, typically isn’t considered a highly heritable trait but we do know that there is a tendency that if a heifer calves late in her first year in the herd she’ll always be towards the last of the calving season.
The above was proven to be true recently when a SMS buyer was wondering why three heifers were slow calving back for their second calf. Out of curiosity I looked the three heifers up and sure enough two of the three were open at the first preg-check. The third heifer was only 35 days along at the first preg-check so she hadn’t settled to the AI service and possibly not one or two services from the cleanup bull.
There was no indication from the prebreeding exam there was anything wrong. Experiences such as this reinforces thoughts that you might consider giving healthy heifers that pass a pre-breeding exam only a short breeding season as a virgin heifer. I know some of you may do AI on heifers then only run them with the bull for 30 to 40 days. ∆
ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri
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