When i was cowboying on a big ranch. The method used for selecting heifers was pretty interesting. They would turn the bulls in with 3000 heifers for 21-30 days then pull the bulls. What got bred was a replacement what didn't was a feeder. Then when they calved anything that needed help or had a problem was going to town. After that they were expected to run out all year with minimal hay and supplements anything that came in open hits the road. At 8 years old the cow is moved into a seedstock herd where cows are AI'd to selected bulls the calves are measured and followed and from them are selected the future herd bulls. THe cows fit the environment or they left in a hurry. I may have done things alittle different if i was running the place instead of a lowly Cowboy. What about you?
Selecting replacments on large scale
- Thread starter Beef11
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bigbull338
Well-known member
thats a tough no nonsense way of selecting your replacement heifers.an doing 3000hd that way cut out the slow breeders.an what was left was the cream of the crop.but you would also be culling alot of heifers.but on a place that size the heifers calve without help or die calving.
Beef11
Well-known member
We calved the heifers all day at night they are on their own. They were in two groups on pastures about 1000-2000 acres. Lots of saddle time and you sure get an eye for trouble. The assist rate is under 10% they weigh 750-900lbs when calving.
mnmtranching
Well-known member
Are the 3000 heifers a select group to start with? So much depends on age, nutrition, bulls? To much is left to chance. Sure doesn't sound good to me. Then minimal hay and supplements? Hard to maintain a profitable cow calf operation with that attitude.
And hard to imagine a lot of cows reaching that 8 year mark?
Then their heifer calves are subject to the same gauntlet?
Where then do they come up with the 3000 heifers? They got to find other sources, then again, some other producer that supplies the heifers may not have such strict standards? I don't know? But I think I would modify things a bit.
And hard to imagine a lot of cows reaching that 8 year mark?
Then their heifer calves are subject to the same gauntlet?
Where then do they come up with the 3000 heifers? They got to find other sources, then again, some other producer that supplies the heifers may not have such strict standards? I don't know? But I think I would modify things a bit.
IL Rancher
Well-known member
I wanna say this is a lot like Lasater of Beefmasters fame set up his herd.. I think they kept 75% of so percent of heifer crop back and bred them on a 21 or 30 day cycle and shipped those that didn't get bred.. Also culled for other things over the winter to make sure they were what he wanted in a female as far as attitude and the like... Now, I don't remember what it said about feeding them and other management issues or if they even said but that book is around here somewhere... Thought it was an interesting idea but wondered about the initial economics of getting it done.
Beef11
Well-known member
No they are the heifers out of the cow herd, anything that has had its second calf on up to the old herd. No calves are kept out of the first calf heifers. They calve close to 6000 cows out annually and keep about 1100 heifers to calve out that number drops substantially the first calf but after that they don't fall out near as quickly. The Ranch is profit driven so they try to only run profitable cows.
Back to the heifers everything is exposed except a few dinks maybe 50-100. Other than that they let the heifers select themselves to replacement duty.
endebt
Well-known member
We A I all hiefers twice/ then run with the bull. They are exposed for 63 days. When start calving we expect them to calve in 45 day this goes for all of the cows this way we only keep the most ferital (sp). This has worked for us for the last 9 years. We have a reg. and a commerial herd. We bleed the herd 45 days after we pull the bulls anything open goes down the road.
