Optimum age to breed heifers ??

[Kathie in Thorp]

Would appreciate your thoughts on this. Except for an August 2011 heifer and a 2010 heifer we have just been slow in getting to, all our heifers were March-April 2011 babies. And those March-April 2011 girls are all high percentage Angus, with only one "unknown" as to the dam's previous performance. My preference is "no babies before April/no babies after August." Something in the middle would be good. And we'll A.I. I want them to be plenty growthy before they're bred.

16 months? 18 months? What do you think?

 

[jerry27150]

if they are not big enough to breed by 14-16 months, they are probably something you shoudn't keep anyway

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I think they'll have enough size by 14 mos., Jerry, but I tend to err on the side of caution . . . So, that's why I asked the question.

 

[Isomade]

14-15 months is the earliest I want them bred.

 

[djinwa]

I think they'll have enough size by 14 mos., Jerry, but I tend to err on the side of caution . . . So, that's why I asked the question.

As I've posted, had one calve a 73 pounder at 15 months of age last year. Though it was not good, with a hard pull, my idea of risk has changed. I used to worry about some I've bred at a year of age (no problems with small bulls).

Of course it all depends on the heifer and the bull. If a calving ease bull, no reason can't breed at 15 months. And obviously most people want the same calving season every year, so need to breed by 15 months ( 15 months plus 9 months = 24 months) to keep them the same schedule as the cow herd.

If you keep heifers, and always breed them to calve more than two years from when they were born, you will keep pushing your calving season back.

Also questionable economics to delay breeding, as the heifer isn't earning anything until she sells a calf. And some heifers can get too fat, if on good feed, if they aren't making or feeding a baby.

 

[dun]

Based on the April calving date, breed them in July. Breed them twice at most, if the haven;t settled by then just ship them out as feeders.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

How much do you like the heifers to weigh before you AI them or turn the bull out with them?

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

How much do you like the heifers to weigh before you AI them or turn the bull out with them?

Our experience is limited. Which is why I'm asking. What do you think they should weigh? 700-800? We don't have a scale. I can tell you that we have no skinny cattle! The mature cows are over-conditioned right now, even coming out of winter. The heifers are good, for body condition.

djinwa -- We have some of the same kind of cattle, and those aren't the ones I'm worried about. Ours are the "all others but March-April 2011 girls."

 

[ousoonerfan22]

That's what I was thinking at least 750-800 or more.

 

[Mid South Guy]

That's what I was thinking at least 750-800 or more.

I will add to that with a body condition score of 5-6. Age is just one factor in having the right type of heifers. IMO, the ideal replacement heifer ready for breeding would be the type that weighs 800-900 lbs, frame score 5.5-6.0, BCS 5-6, 15 months of age, and calves unasisted at 24 months.

 

[highgrit]

I want all my heifers to be bred back by the time their 2years old. An easy calving bull is the name of the game here.

 

[KNERSIE]

I want all my heifers to be bred back by the time their 2years old. An easy calving bull is the name of the game here.

Am I understanding you correctly here?

I believe the optimum age to breed is 20-21 months, unfortunately it doesn't fit into a single calving season schedule, so I breed to calf at 2 to fit in with the rest. Breeding season starts here 1 October, no exceptions made unless I have a known market for bred heifers up north where they calve later than I do in the South.

 

[SSGenetics]

I will be breeding my 2011 March/April heifers in May, so right around 14/15 months.

I generally go by weight though.

 

[bigbull338]

if you breed by weight as soon as they hitt 725lbs id turn them with the bull.i breed by age 14 to 15 months old to calve at 2yrs or older.

 

[andrews29]

14 to 15 months old

 

[MO_cows]

65% of their mature weight. So if your mature cows are 1200 lbs, your target would be 780 lbs. with decent condition. Long as you use a bull with good calving ease and they are getting enough nutrition to keep growing but not get too fat, life should be good.

 

[wildsawmill]

so does a brahma heffer follow the same advice as i read here 800 lbs & 14-15 mo
i assaume brahma's as a larger breed would still follow this idea?

 

[fitz]

I always have gone by what was done when I started here.
The heifers were bred to calf around 24 months.
I understood then and I still realize you want the most production possible.
Now calf spring and fall. Heifers retained are often placed in the next calving cycle which would put them bred closer to calving at 30 months. I know there's 6 months lost production. In a large operation I realize this would not be acceptable. I also understand it may be the quality of my stock, but the heifers calving later seem to maintain better condition throughout.

fitz

 

[Workinonit Farm]

so does a brahma heffer follow the same advice as i read here 800 lbs & 14-15 mo
i assaume brahma's as a larger breed would still follow this idea?

What I know of Brahmas (Bos Indicus) is that they tend to mature later/slower than Bos Taurus (Angus, Hereford, Limousine, Etc). Therefore would'nt necessarily be bred by 15 months.

Katherine

 

[KNERSIE]

I always have gone by what was done when I started here.
The heifers were bred to calf around 24 months.
I understood then and I still realize you want the most production possible.
Now calf spring and fall. Heifers retained are often placed in the next calving cycle which would put them bred closer to calving at 30 months. I know there's 6 months lost production. In a large operation I realize this would not be acceptable. I also understand it may be the quality of my stock, but the heifers calving later seem to maintain better condition throughout.

fitz

Exactly what I experienced, unfortunately I can't calf both spring and fall with the numbers I am trying to run at the moment. I also find they milked better in their first lactation and I didn't even own a set of chains at the time.