heifer's first calf low weaning weight part 2

[cypressfarms]

Last year I shared some information dealing with heifers calving. From my information, albeit a very limited study, I have found that heifers do not wean calves nearly as heavy as other cows on their 2nd calf or more. 2008 proved to be the same. Here's some info:

-When I refer to weaning weight, I mean 205 day weight adjusted.

-All cows in the herd examined were bred by the same bull (30 cows - but the number has fluctuated slightly), an Angus plus bull. The cows in question are all commerical brangus and beefmaster. I have been studying this trait since 2005.

-The first time calfers (heifers) weaned calves well below the herd average. This held true for every year for every heifer. For 2008, this was 60 lbs below the herd average.

-The same cows that weaned low weight calves, have gone on to wean calves that are close to the average or better on their second calf and beyond.

- All calves born to the heifers were reasonably sized. Another words, the calves had by these heifers were of average birth size compared to the other older cows. The calves that these heifers raised just didn't give a weaning weight close to the older cows.

-We did have one heifer in 2008 that weaned a calf a full 200 pounds above the whole herd average! However, she did not rebreed :cry2: so for 2009 she is open. This cow is the only cow that did not follow suit with first calvers weaning calves much lower than older cows. She was the oddball that put so much energy to raising the calf that she couldn't rebreed. And her BCS was a 6 at calving, she was not skinny by any means.


I can provide more details if anyone is interested. I'm come to some conclusions in the three years that I've studied this trait:

1. Bred heifers, while costing as much to upkeep as a normal cow, contribute $50 to $100 less gross revenue than a cow (on her 2nd calf or more).

1. Bred heifers are even a riskier buy than I thought before. Now not only do I have to worry about a heifer having calving problems, but I'm faced with a calf that weans substantially lower than others. I won't buy bred heifers, period.

2. I will not retain heifers anymore. I will retain them only long enough to breed them and sell them as bred heifers (people just seem to love to buy bred heifers).

3. The money made from selling bred heifers will go to buying 3 in 1's or cow/calf pairs that may be 2 to 3 years old.

I wish a University would do a study on this trait. It seems like a legitimate issue. This info is taken from one small herd, but I can only imagine the financial affects if this holds true across all first time calfers...

 

[dun]

I have no idea why you find it surprising since for at least 40 years it's been a pretty well accepted fact that it happens.

 

[TheBullLady]

I was thinking the same thing. A first calf heifer isn't finished growing herself, so it stands to reason that her first calf is not going to be the best she'll have in her lifetime. The point in starting with good heifers is that as they mature, their potential to be really good productive cows is established. Not all heifers will make good cows, but they have to be heifers before they are cows!

 

[bigbull338]

you just foundout why i wont raise heifers less i have to.i can always sell open heifers an get bred cows.an i dont have to wait 2yrs.but your still wating 2yrs to sell them.an then buy 3 in 1s.

 

[HerefordSire]

Excellent post! Even though it may seem obvious to always unload heifers because of weaning weight dollars, we should take into consideration an extra one or two or three years depreciation. It doesn't matter how much profit you make, it matters how much cash is in your pocket. I am going to say the extra depreciation is worth more than you are receiving for the weight difference.

 

[dun]

No depreciation on raised heifers only on bought heifers.
I'll keep raising them because I know the genetics and how they will(should) perform in our herd. Over the years we've retained a lot of heifers and only 2 haven;t worked out. Both appeared like they should but just didn;t deliver.

 

[HerefordSire]

No depreciation on raised heifers only on bought heifers.
I'll keep raising them because I know the genetics and how they will(should) perform in our herd. Over the years we've retained a lot of heifers and only 2 haven;t worked out. Both appeared like they should but just didn;t deliver.

Doesn't it matter how all the breeding animals are capitialized or recapitalized?

I agree about raising your own heifers. Sometimes it is better to take a loss (less profit) in the short term for the longer term. It should free the income side up and provide more cash flow.

 

[dun]

No depreciation on raised heifers only on bought heifers.
I'll keep raising them because I know the genetics and how they will(should) perform in our herd. Over the years we've retained a lot of heifers and only 2 haven;t worked out. Both appeared like they should but just didn;t deliver.

Doesn't it matter how all the breeding animals are capitialized or recapitalized?

I agree about raising your own heifers. Sometimes it is better to take a loss (less profit) in the short term for the longer term. It should free the income side up and provide more cash flow.

For depreciation it's only the purchase price that's considered. In theory you've written off the cost of raising it. But I've never figured out a way of writting off the value of grass.

 

[HerefordSire]

For depreciation it's only the purchase price that's considered. In theory you've written off the cost of raising it. But I've never figured out a way of writting off the value of grass.



Interesting. You would have to claim it if you sold the grass as in a bale of hay. We can deduct it if buying hay. Surely there is a way to account for it like putting the grass consumption inside the cost of goods sold but that would not account for breeding stock. I am doing some dangerous thinking.

 

[Angus Cowman]

For depreciation it's only the purchase price that's considered. In theory you've written off the cost of raising it. But I've never figured out a way of writting off the value of grass.



Interesting. You would have to claim it if you sold the grass as in a bale of hay. We can deduct it if buying hay. Surely there is a way to account for it like putting the grass consumption inside the cost of goods sold but that would not account for breeding stock. I am doing some dangerous thinking.

If you figure it out let me know I have kept replacements and bought heifers,I now buy all my hfrs lately I have been getting pairs and a few bred hfrs this yr I bought 46 out of them 41 had calves on delivery 4 calved within 10 days and 1 didn't calve I think she calved the day they loaded them and they missed her calf but they guarentee all of them so she didn't cost me I sold her and they refunded the difference by my figures it cost me $100 more to buy them this way than to raise them not counting culling and all the work getting them bred and feeding them plus I get the depreciation