How do you select replacements?

[AudieWyoming]

What are some of your thoughts on this concept?

The best replacement cows come out of the middle cut of heifers! A few of the long time ranchers I have been exposed to subscribe to this theory. Their thinking is the big heifers came from the best milking cows, they never had to learn how to fend for themselves. The bottom cut are the poorest genetics. Putting the middle cut back into the herd helps you control your mature cow size. These are the maternal genetics in the herd. Selling the top cut gives you more lbs. to sell and more dollars per head, they work better in the feedlot because they are the terminal type cattle, grow faster and can be harvested earlier.
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[kenny thomas]

I know some people do this.
A thought, do you sell your best cows and keep the middle group? If not why would you sell your best heifers and keep the middle group?

 

[dun]

We've alwasy shipped the biggest and the smallest, just made sense to me.

 

[kenny thomas]

But aren't the biggest from the best cows. Should be. I would rather keep the heifers from the best cows.

 

[bigbull338]

i pick my heifers based on a few things.1 their dams bloodline.2 the heifer calfs bloodlines.3 what the calf looks like at weaning.4 how fast she grows to breeding size.5 i cull any heifers that come from low milking cows.ive got a fav cow.an she dont milk worth a crapp.so i wont keep a bull or heifer out of her.

 

[Aaron]

But aren't the biggest from the best cows. Should be. I would rather keep the heifers from the best cows.

I agree. I would not keep heifers that are big due to extreme frame size. But I would never condemn a heifer for being thick, having lots of capacity or easier keeping than the other heifers. :cowboy:

 

[kenny thomas]

I agree on the frame size. If she is bigger just because she is Xlarge frame she would not be a keeper.

 

[Wewild]

We keep them based on their looks. I ain't schooled in the lingo but they look like whats in the pasture they came from. They need to be structurally sound. See if they grow off to what you thought they would. Give them a chance to calve. Sell the ones that don't grow off as as expected and don't calve on time.

Edit. Put a older cow that will drop a calve in with them. It seems to help some.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We have put a lot of time and money into growing stocker quality pastures. With that feed quality it seems like you usually have a few replacements that get really fat and don't bred. So now we preg check heifers in late summer to pick some out for the locker plant. :cboy:

 

[Angus Cowman]

When selling calves I always sell the top end (heavy weight hfrs) and the low end ones
if I am gonna retain 20 hfrs I will keep 35-40 of the middle of the road hfrs( avg weight,size and thickness) and and then give them another month or two so I can watch them on a more individual basis and then I will pick the 20 top hfrs out of that bunch

I can't pick hfrs if they are mixed in with say 700lbs hfrs and 550lb hfrs so I try and put together a similiar size group of hfrs so the are more consistant and easier to pick from

 

[novatech]

What are some of your thoughts on this concept?

The best replacement cows come out of the middle cut of heifers! A few of the long time ranchers I have been exposed to subscribe to this theory. Their thinking is the big heifers came from the best milking cows, they never had to learn how to fend for themselves. The bottom cut are the poorest genetics. Putting the middle cut back into the herd helps you control your mature cow size. These are the maternal genetics in the herd. Selling the top cut gives you more lbs. to sell and more dollars per head, they work better in the feedlot because they are the terminal type cattle, grow faster and can be harvested earlier.
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:???: @

I simply look for the ones that are better than the ones I am replacing. Size is only one trait among many.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have an old Brangus girl that registered to vote this year, she grows off the biggest calf, easy keeper and is dog gentle. I usually don't keep replacements I had rather buy them. I would keep her heifers for replacement cept she has never had one!!!

 

[dun]

I would keep her heifers for replacement cept she has never had one!!!

Frustrating isn;t it? Granny at 21 had her second ever heifer last year.

 

[Frankie]

What are some of your thoughts on this concept?

The best replacement cows come out of the middle cut of heifers! A few of the long time ranchers I have been exposed to subscribe to this theory. Their thinking is the big heifers came from the best milking cows, they never had to learn how to fend for themselves. The bottom cut are the poorest genetics. Putting the middle cut back into the herd helps you control your mature cow size. These are the maternal genetics in the herd. Selling the top cut gives you more lbs. to sell and more dollars per head, they work better in the feedlot because they are the terminal type cattle, grow faster and can be harvested earlier.
:???:
:???: @

I think he has a valid point. My only problem with it is that like tends to produce like. Those females to grow quickly and gain in the feedlot will likely produce calves that will grow quickly and gain in the feedlot, wouldn' you think? We tend to keep heifers out of what we think are our best cows.

 

[cs106]

What are some of your thoughts on this concept?

The best replacement cows come out of the middle cut of heifers! A few of the long time ranchers I have been exposed to subscribe to this theory. Their thinking is the big heifers came from the best milking cows, they never had to learn how to fend for themselves. The bottom cut are the poorest genetics. Putting the middle cut back into the herd helps you control your mature cow size. These are the maternal genetics in the herd. Selling the top cut gives you more lbs. to sell and more dollars per head, they work better in the feedlot because they are the terminal type cattle, grow faster and can be harvested earlier.
:???:
:???: @

I think he has a valid point. My only problem with it is that like tends to produce like. Those females to grow quickly and gain in the feedlot will likely produce calves that will grow quickly and gain in the feedlot, wouldn' you think? We tend to keep heifers out of what we think are our best cows.

That's what we tend to do, keep the heifers out of the top end cows. If there is a nice heifer that comes out of a so-so cow, I'll give her a chance, but only one.

 

[Oldtimer]

I spend the summer evaluating the heifer calves- taking notes on them and writing down info on the prospects in my little red book...Evaluate their momma (age, udder, disposition, frame and condition, etc.)- their pedigree and if they are performing to expectations--- and then use all that to keep a group of heifers (usually more than I need) and cull deeper toward spring again...

 

[novatech]

I see mostly very good advice concerning culling on here.
Often times culling or the discipline to do so is highly dependent on the quantity you have. The fewer you have the better they look. Almost all heifers look better than the moms. It is very easy for the small breeder to end up with a bunch of cows that do not meet up with their expectations. I think with small groups there can be to much personal attachment. I know this because I consider myself small. I bring in others to look and judge just to make sure I not getting barn blind. I usually end up keeping the ones they want to buy the most, that is unless I need the cash. With knowledge and experience many can envision what the heifer will be as an adult. Even they are sometimes wrong.
The number of heifers one should be able to retain is highly dependent on the quality you are starting with and how long that quality has been in the herd.
Raising a heifer to a quality keeper cow is very expensive. If you do not start with the quality, bred up with a history of quality, as foundation stock, you are fighting an economically loosing battle. I can assure you that it is far cheaper to buy quality proven cows than trying to build something from nothing, registered or commercial.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I see mostly very good advice concerning culling on here.
Often times culling or the discipline to do so is highly dependent on the quantity you have. The fewer you have the better they look. Almost all heifers look better than the moms. It is very easy for the small breeder to end up with a bunch of cows that do not meet up with their expectations. I think with small groups there can be to much personal attachment. I know this because I consider myself small. I bring in others to look and judge just to make sure I not getting barn blind. I usually end up keeping the ones they want to buy the most, that is unless I need the cash. With knowledge and experience many can envision what the heifer will be as an adult. Even they are sometimes wrong.
The number of heifers one should be able to retain is highly dependent on the quality you are starting with and how long that quality has been in the herd.
Raising a heifer to a quality keeper cow is very expensive. If you do not start with the quality, bred up with a history of quality, as foundation stock, you are fighting an economically loosing battle. I can assure you that it is far cheaper to buy quality proven cows than trying to build something from nothing, registered or commercial.

No joke on the expensive part I haven't ran the numbers in a while, last time I put a pencil to it was 1400 dollars.

 

[AudieWyoming]

Very profound advice and observations from novatech here, I wholeheartedly agree.
When I was first trying to put some money together working as Herdsman for a dairy I got the opportunity to build a small herd of Holstein cows of my own. With A.I. and retained heifers I thought I was getting better cows all the time. Building quality genetics is a never ending process, but you won't live long enough, or at least be in business long enough, if you don't start with good ones!

As a side note; By the time I felt that dairy herd had my mark on it, and I couldn't wait to get the new matings that were on the ground, or even still in the cows, into production, I was 32 years old. I had read somewhere that "whatever you are doing when you are 33, thats what you will be doing for the rest of your life"
That dairy/feedlot was a great educational experience, but not my career dream!!! Time to move on.
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I see mostly very good advice concerning culling on here.
Often times culling or the discipline to do so is highly dependent on the quantity you have. The fewer you have the better they look. Almost all heifers look better than the moms. It is very easy for the small breeder to end up with a bunch of cows that do not meet up with their expectations. I think with small groups there can be to much personal attachment. I know this because I consider myself small. I bring in others to look and judge just to make sure I not getting barn blind. I usually end up keeping the ones they want to buy the most, that is unless I need the cash. With knowledge and experience many can envision what the heifer will be as an adult. Even they are sometimes wrong.
The number of heifers one should be able to retain is highly dependent on the quality you are starting with and how long that quality has been in the herd.Raising a heifer to a quality keeper cow is very expensive. If you do not start with the quality, bred up with a history of quality, as foundation stock, you are fighting an economically loosing battle. I can assure you that it is far cheaper to buy quality proven cows than trying to build something from nothing, registered or commercial.

 

[Angus Cowman]

No joke on the expensive part I haven't ran the numbers in a while, last time I put a pencil to it was 1400 dollars.

I figure your numbers are right on CB this is the first yr I have kept replacements and the reason is cash flow
I still buy around 20-30 1st calvers per yr and am trying to keep 10-20 to build the herd with
right now it is easier for me to raise some and spend the money a little at a time as I go along than it is to spend $6-70k per yr buying all of them as I do have the grass and hay

also I try to sell by pot loads and I have somewhere between 25-40 hd left over that don't fit on the pots so I have started keeping them as replacements
but cheaper it is not