How young can you AI a Heifer?

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Here is my situation. I have a Momma that throws some really nice heifers (that is all i ever get out of her, 0 bulls, 6 heifers), she always calves in may. I kept a heifer out of her this last year, born 5/25/13. I would like to breed her no later then June 20th, so that i can calve in March, and eventually push her back to February. She will not have a problem being her breeding weight at 12 months, but if we sync her and AI her is she still to young? I have always bred at 14 months. Will 2 months make that big of a difference, or should i wait until she is 20 months to breed her, and just push her back to February calving that way?

Thanks for the help! I love being part of this community where we can reach out when we have questions like this, especially for those of us that do not have alot of other breeders nearby to ask.

 

[Nesikep]

If she's a good size, I don't see a problem... I had a heifer born in may, and was bred the following may... She was the size of the rest of the 14 month olds... she wasn't bred AI, but I don't see a problem... maybe someone with AI experience can shed more light.

 

[TB521]

Breeding her in June would have her calve at 24 month's so if she'around 800 I would sbreed her

 

[dun]

Our heifers that are born in March/April we breed the later part of May. Been doing it that way for years and it always works out fine. The one caveat is that we do a pelvic measurement at around 12 months to insure they are big enough in that respect.

 

[skyhightree1]

A older farmer here told me when he went to wehrmann angus they were AI breeding heifers at 6 mos .. I wait till they are 15 months old

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Generally, I've bred mine at 15 months or so. And if I'm reading correctly, yours will be at the 15 month mark.

Katherine

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Thanks for the input everyone!
@TB521 - she is a fast grower and should easily be between 800-900lbs in may.
@Skyhightree1 - how many calves did they have to pull when they calved at 15 mos?!

 

[RoppFamilyFarm]

Generally, I've bred mine at 15 months or so. And if I'm reading correctly, yours will be at the 15 month mark.

Katherine

Sorry katherine my fault - she was born 5/25 not 3/25

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Here is my situation. I have a Momma that throws some really nice heifers (that is all i ever get out of her, 0 bulls, 6 heifers), she always calves in may. I kept a heifer out of her this last year, born 3/25/13. I would like to breed her no later then June 20th, so that i can calve in March, and eventually push her back to February. She will not have a problem being her breeding weight at 12 months, but if we sync her and AI her is she still to young? I have always bred at 14 months. Will 2 months make that big of a difference, or should i wait until she is 20 months to breed her, and just push her back to February calving that way?

Thanks for the help! I love being part of this community where we can reach out when we have questions like this, especially for those of us that do not have alot of other breeders nearby to ask.

Your message is a bit confusing. You say the dam always calves in May, but this heifer is a March, so which is she, a May or March? If she is a March, then breeding in June is no problem, since she will be 14 months old at least. If she is a May, then breeding in June can be risky, but if you use a proven calving ease bull and she is not underweight (meaning small and immature for her age) then you should be OK. But be on alert when she gets ready to calve.
We have a Feb 25th born heifer that I am breeding on her next heat (she should be in tomorrow), but she is over 1000 pounds already and well taken care of. I am breeding her to heifer sexed semen on a known calving ease Simmental bull.

EDIT Obviously I responded while you were correcting your date. Disregard the first part...

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Says plain as day the heifer was born 5-25-13.

 

[TB521]

I read her D.O.B wrong but if she is that big I would still breed her

 

[Nesikep]

Dun.. When we bought our herd of cows, er, bred heifers, they all had pelvic measurements done and apparently passed... lost 3 calves and 2 cows the first year (105 lb was the highest birthweight)... since then we have never lost a cow or calf due to size, and now our average bw is 100 lb. I guess like the public school system, if too many fail, they lower the passing grade!

Looking back, when we got them we thought they were big (we were used to goats).. but we also bought weaner steers and heifers, the heaviest of them were 450 lbs, the lightest about 325.. so perhaps we got taken as now 450 lbs is good cause for culling, even from a first timer... I guess those "big cows" were probably only 900 lbs when they were to have their first calf.

 

[snake67]

Do not worry about age - weigh her.

If she is 800 pounds she can be bred.

Been doing it that way for more years than most have been alive.

Works for us.

Bez

 

[Son of Butch]

Breed on size not age.
I've seen some old heifers [poor nutrition] not big enough to breed and I've seen a lot of good heifers calve at 1yr 11m
But to answer your question... How young?
I'd say 12 months at the earliest, then she'd calve at 1yr 9 m [21 months] Any younger would make me very uncomfortable.
I've only calved a couple at 1yr 9m Make sure she is well taken care of after calving. She will still have a lot of growing to do
and will need extra nutrition to get her to breed back on time.