heifer age and breeding

[moloss]

I have a heifer that will be 14months when we bring our bull back.....is this to young? In my mind this would be ok (her mom is an awesome mom, and the main reason we want to keep her) that said I am no expert (actually a beginner) and don't want to hurt her......that being said this bull for years was used exclusively on heifers do to his easy calving.....heifer is commerical and bull is red angus.....thanks for your time Chris.

 

[bigbull338]

if she weighs 700 to 750lbs its ok to breed her.you can breed by weight or age.breeding by age depends on when you want her to calve.some people want them to calve at 30 months.so they put emm with the bull at 18 months.

 

[Frankie]

I have a heifer that will be 14months when we bring our bull back.....is this to young? In my mind this would be ok (her mom is an awesome mom, and the main reason we want to keep her) that said I am no expert (actually a beginner) and don't want to hurt her......that being said this bull for years was used exclusively on heifers do to his easy calving.....heifer is commerical and bull is red angus.....thanks for your time Chris.

I guess it depends partly on the breed of heifer. Some breeds are slower to mature than others. But cattlemen that I know put a bull with the heifers at about 15 months of age. There is quite a bit of research showing that heifers calving as two year olds are generally your more productive cows. There are lots of variables, though, size of the heifer, bull being used, management. If you've done everything right and she's cycling, I'd put her with the bull next month if you don't mind an August calf. Or wait until December and have her calve in September (fall).

 

[moloss]

thanks guys......we plan to put the bull in sometime in Jan (that's when she'll be 14 months)....again thank you for your time.

 

[novaman]

I've bred several heifers @ 14 months with no problems. In fact with my Holstein heifers I target 13 months if I can get enough size on them. All the research I've seen shows 22-24 months of age at calving has no negative effects on future production plus you get that girl producing for you rather than costing you by feeding her for a longer period before she is productive. JMO

By the way bigbull, 30 month old heifers would be bred at roughly 21 months, not 18.

 

[farmwriter]

I realize this will be more information that what you've asked for, but I think it might be useful for you.
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-132 ... 37a2462ad1

 

[zman6133]

Great information. Thanks to all of you as I was asking myself some of the same questions.

 

[novatech]

Depends on the size of the birth canal. There is a difference in breeds but even in the slower maturing breeds there are those that can be bred earlier than others. For example; Brahman are typically bred as 2 yrs.old. I have some that I have bred at 16 mo. When pushing a heifer for early breeding either learn to do a pelvic exam or take her to the vet. I haven't had to pull a calf in a good many years. Don't plan on having to either.

 

[redcowsrule33]

My heifers are expected to breed @ 14-15 months or they get a ride. My calving season is the same for cows and heifers so I have a consistent calf crop. Unless you are dealing with a slow maturing breed like fullblood Chis or Brahman, you should be able to do it no problem.

 

[KNERSIE]

In beef cattle the rule of thumb is 14 months AND (not or) 750lbs. Inexperienced beef farmers will do well to rather stick to this.

 

[Avalon]

My rule of thumb is as following: breed at either 15 months of age or when the heifer reaches 60 % of her full size. I always go by the 15 month rule unless it conflicts with the breeding season.

 

[TexasBred]

We try to breed at 15 months as well.....when dairying I had a chute with a bar across it at 49" that would rattle when touched. When they walked under the bar and touched it at the hip area they were bred regardless of age.