Replacement heifer growth after weaning.

[Stocker Steve]

I try not to retain the extreme heifer calf sizes, but even so there is a range in how growthy they are after weaning. They are currently getting a little alfalfa hay and a lot of stockpiled pasture. They will be going on corn stubble in a couple weeks.

How long would you wait after weaning to start culling for size and growth?

 

[dun]

Our first cut is at the end of the preconditioning phase when we're shipping the steers. Any heifers that fall outside of our criteria are on the trailer with the steers. The next time is as yearlings when we do the ultra sound, repro tract scoring, weighing and measuring

 

[jerry27150]

i check weaning weight & then make final cut as yearlings

 

[dcara]

Our first cut is at the end of the preconditioning phase when we're shipping the steers. Any heifers that fall outside of our criteria are on the trailer with the steers. The next time is as yearlings when we do the ultra sound, repro tract scoring, weighing and measuring

Dun
Can you expand on the repro tract score? I'd like to know more about that.

 

[dun]

Our first cut is at the end of the preconditioning phase when we're shipping the steers. Any heifers that fall outside of our criteria are on the trailer with the steers. The next time is as yearlings when we do the ultra sound, repro tract scoring, weighing and measuring

Dun
Can you expand on the repro tract score? I'd like to know more about that.

It's simply a method of defining the maturity of heifers. Here is a link, the part on RTS is down a ways
http://extension.missouri.edu/publicati ... px?P=G2041

 

[Stocker Steve]

Dun - what do your average yearlings weigh and what % fail the RTS?

 

[dun]

Dun - what do your average yearlings weigh and what % fail the RTS?

Avg WW is 560 avg YW 915.
No supplement other then minerals. After the preconditioning/weaning phase (around 45 days of 1 - 1 1/2% body weight of 13& grain) they're turned out with the cows for the winter and not separated again.
The only one we had fail the RTS was a heifer we bought as a bred heifer and ended up with an infantile repro tract. Cows and heifers are held to a 2 strikes and you're out of here schedule. IF they don;t settle by the second service they're on the trailer for slaughter.
Apparantly we have better then average toxic fescue, or it could be that we've selected for animals that do well on the poisonous stuff.