weining weights

[wyattbower]

This is a newbie question but why is the standard a 205 day weining weight?

[dun]

This is a newbie question but why is the standard a 205 day weining weight?

Becasue years ago BIF decided that would be the standard since there was no standard before then

[MO_cows]

By adjusting the weights as if all the animals are exactly 205 days old, it lets you compare apples to apples. Otherwise you would be comparing earlier-born, older calves, who of course should weigh more, to the later-born, younger and probably lighter calves. This adjustment evens up the playing field. The formula came from the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Guidelines. You used to have to buy the book but I bet it's online now. Just don't have time now to search it up for ya, sorry.

[wyattbower]

Thanks for the answers. So do you folks always try to weigh a few every year at the 205 day mark or is that in your standard practices to weigh/vaccinate every calf on the 205 day?

[Red Bull Breeder]

That is the reason for the adjusted weaning weights, so when you wean your calves the six month old calves can be adjusted up and the eight month old calves can be adjusted down.

[Brandonm22]

Thanks for the answers. So do you folks always try to weigh a few every year at the 205 day mark or is that in your standard practices to weigh/vaccinate every calf on the 205 day?

Your calves typically are spread out over 60 days (if you have a 45 day breeding season.......more if you don't). Obviously, you can't wean every calf at exactly 205 days. You would be constantly chasing the cows around. As red bull breeder already mentioned we have weaning weight adjustment factors to get them all to a 205 day standard.

The Buelingo people have a good page on adjustment factors (your breed may use slightly different formulas.)

http://www.buelingo.com/bif/chpt3.html

[backhoeboogie]

To me all of the 205 day WW is a complete WAG. But if it works, keep working it for yourself.

My neighbor who adjoins me on the east has some registered herfs. My neighbor to the west is the one with the problem bull. This year the registered herfs dropped some black baldies. Now if this neighbor to the east had a problem herf bull, registered or not, what do you suppose the pedigree would say?

We all told this neighbor with the herfs that the angus bull had also visited his place. He was in denial, until last spring and the black baldies came along.

The neighbor to the east didn't try to pull the wool over anyone's eyes about it. He's a man of integrity.

[Brandonm22]

To me all of the 205 day WW is a complete WAG. But if it works, keep working it for yourself.

Hey people need something too brag about. Practically speaking, if your market demands six weight calves does it really matter that much too profitability whether they got there at 200 days or if I held them on the cow another 20 days to get there?? I can't speak for anybody else but we always weaned for weight. The heaviest trailer load (presumably the earliest calving) sold in September, most of the rest sold in October, and the tail enders and the dinks sold with the culls in Nov/Dec (It doesn't snow down here) or even were held back too March as 8 weights if we had grass/hay.

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

It always seemed odd to have 205 days - why not 200 days???
Anyway, you take the actual scale weight, less birth weight, divided by number of days old, times 205, plus birth weight.
So, a calf weighs 600# on 10-1 at 211 days old and weighed 75# at birth.
600 - 75 = 525 / by 211 = 2.488# x 205 = 510 + 75 = 585# 205 day weight.

A calf weighs 600# on 10-1 at 180 days old and weighed 75# at birth.
600 - 75 = 525 / by 180 = 2.9166 x 205 = 598 + 75= 673# 205 day weight.

Breed associations also adjust these figures by adding pounds for the age of the dam (2 yr old's bull calf will add maybe 50#, and a 6 year old cow will have no adjustment - each breed has their own formulas)
So, my example shows two calves born a month apart (31 days) that weighed the same on weaning day (assume they were out of same age cows). The younger calf's mom raised you a calf that was 88# heavier IN COMPARISON to the older calf's mom.
The adjusted 205 day weight is a way for you to COMPARE your COWS production. By all breeds using a standard 205 day formula, you can compare apples to apples (within breeds or acrosss breeds)
For my herd, I shoot for 100#/per month of age. Harder to achieve with our more moderate frame 6 - 6.5 cows, but the most growthy calves still reach & surpass this goal. Notice I didn't say my BEST calves - sometimes my BEST calves aren't my most growthy.
Depends on your goals, and your herd. Like Knersie said, a realistic goal is 45 - 50% of the cows weight. My mature cows average around 1550-1600# in BCS 6.

[apical meristem]

Perhaps your overheads are too high?......

According to most financial analyses of producer records (SPA, Chaps, etc.) weaning weight only explains about 5% +/- of the variation in profitibility among cow-calf herds. Feed costs by themselves usually explain over 50% of the variation. Overhead investment per cow may explain 15 to 20% of the variation. Weaning weight is one of the last things I ever worry about. Net return per cow is how we set our performance goal.

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