Wean weight, heifers vs. steers?

[TCRanch]

Can anyone explain the huge difference in wean weight between my heifers vs steers?

I generally wean my spring calves around the 1st week of Oct and sell late Nov/early Dec but the past couple years the market was down so much I held them over, let them graze the brome, and sold them late Jan/early Feb the following year. This year I decided not to hold them over. Here's what I find confusing: the 2016 spring calves were weaned 120 days. Average weight of the steers was 756 lbs, average weight of the heifers was 705 lbs. The 2017 spring calves were weaned 60 days. Average weight of the steers was 731 lbs, average weight of the heifers was 625 lbs. So the average weight gain of the 2016 steers, holding them over an additional 2 months was only 25 lbs. But the average weight gain of the 2016 heifers was 80 lbs. Same bulls, same brome field, same protein tubs/cubes. Why would the heifers gain an average 55 lbs. more than the steers?

 

[Supa Dexta]

When were they castrated ? Simplest answer would be if it was done at the same time it sets them back a lot, but I assume that's not the case ?

Generally steers will do 6-10% better Than their sisters, on a level playing field. Heifers and steers will gain near the same until they start depositing fat @ 700 - 800 lbs then that's when the steers convert fat better.

 

[Silver]

Generally when I find an anomaly like that I find the answer in my paperwork :kid:

 

[TCRanch]

The majority of the 2016 steers were banded day 1 or 2. Only half of the 2017 steers were banded at birth, the rest were castrated when they were worked at appx 3 months.

I'd love to find an easy explanation in my records - except I generally don't track the weight. I do weigh calves from the first calf heifers and although fairly accurate, definitely not exact because I use the Birthweight Hoofometer Tape (seriously, it's a thing). I'm just going by the invoices from the sale barn, using the average weight recorded. Also not reflective of all my calves because we do sell a lot of them private treaty and quite often I retain all the heifers, keep my faves and sell the rest as bred.

 

[Supa Dexta]

So are your weights of steers coming from sale barn and heifers stayed home and got weighed ?

 

[TCRanch]

So are your weights of steers coming from sale barn and heifers stayed home and got weighed ?

No. Let me re-phrase. All weights listed in my original post were for steers & heifers that were sent to the sale barn. I'm comparing check stubs/totals from the 2016 calves I sold in Feb of this year and the 2017 calves I sold last week. Was pointing out that it's not necessarily reflective of my entire calf crop because of private treaty sales.

 

[gizmom]

were they split into heifer and steer groups at sale barn?

Gizmom

 

[TCRanch]

were they split into heifer and steer groups at sale barn?

Gizmom

Yes. Two groups of 2016 steers sold Feb 2017, avg 756 lbs and two groups of 2016 heifers, avg 705 lbs. Two groups of 2017 steers sold last week, avg 731 lbs and two groups of heifers, avg 625 lbs.

 

[Ebenezer]

Something I have seen is genetic influences of bulls and different maturity patterns in males and females. See it in sheep, too. Probably not very scientific or EPD worthy to say that but it happens.

 

[TCRanch]

Something I have seen is genetic influences of bulls and different maturity patterns in males and females. See it in sheep, too. Probably not very scientific or EPD worthy to say that but it happens.

I've been pulling the bulls at least 6 weeks prior to weaning because the heifers have been coming into heat earlier - and they all get a shot of Lute. Finally sold my alpha bull this year so interesting to see if the trend continues.

 

[Hunter]

Maybe weather played a factor. Grass was better one year over the other?

 

[TCRanch]

Maybe weather played a factor. Grass was better one year over the other?

Not really. Last couple winters have been very mild with a significant amount of spring rain.

 

[Dave]

You are comparing 2016 calves to 2017 calves. The 2016 heifer might have been out of cow toward the top of the herd and 2017 heifers out of cows toward the lower end of the herd. Of course this would put the steers lower in 2016 and high end in 2017. A couple weeks in average age could have an affect too.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Is this what you are saying:
2016 weaned & fed for 120 days, & shipped
steers 756# Heifers 705# - so steers outweighed heifers by 51#
2017 weaned & fed for 60 days, & shipped
steers 731# Heifers 625# - so steers outweighed heifers by 106#

Comparing both years:
After an additional 60 days on feed, steers gained 25# - Heifers gained 80#

If I have that right, I can understand why you might be confused/frustrated/disappointed? Without a weaning weight on individual animals, and an end weight on individuals, there is no way to answer the drastic differences. You could have had a couple major dink steers, and you could have had a couple major growthy heifers. Could have had some get sick - could have had some that had major shrink in shipping???? But, if castrated at birth, you would think the steers would do much better than the heifers (both years), especially if the heifers started cycling.

I just read Dave's comments and they are good points. You need to compare individual calves and knowing what cow they are out of. Hmmmm another reason to eartag calves. Just saying - referring to another post.

 

[TCRanch]

Good input, thanks! And Dave, I'll look at my records to see which calves were from the top cows to heifers. All of my bulls are low BW calving ease, even for the cows because I generally start them on the heifers and then they "graduate" to the main herd (primarily because they get too big to put 'em on a heifer). But regardless of low BW, some of my cows will spit out whoppers.

And Jeanne, yes, the heifers gained an average 80 lbs more. Not disappointed (you go, girls!) but certainly confused as to why they totally surpassed the steers. Shrink shouldn't be too much of an issue because the sale is all of a 20 minute drive. Side note: those heifers did get the highest price at the sale.

 

[Randi]

So are your weights of steers coming from sale barn and heifers stayed home and got weighed ?

No. Let me re-phrase. All weights listed in my original post were for steers & heifers that were sent to the sale barn. I'm comparing check stubs/totals from the 2016 calves I sold in Feb of this year and the 2017 calves I sold last week. Was pointing out that it's not necessarily reflective of my entire calf crop because of private treaty sales.

Were the heifer calves a good sample of all your heifers, or were they the bottom end? Did you keep any replacement heifers?

Our steer vs heifer weights at the sale barn are usually heavier, but then we keep the top end of the heifers at home for replacement heifers.

 

[TCRanch]

So are your weights of steers coming from sale barn and heifers stayed home and got weighed ?

No. Let me re-phrase. All weights listed in my original post were for steers & heifers that were sent to the sale barn. I'm comparing check stubs/totals from the 2016 calves I sold in Feb of this year and the 2017 calves I sold last week. Was pointing out that it's not necessarily reflective of my entire calf crop because of private treaty sales.

Were the heifer calves a good sample of all your heifers, or were they the bottom end? Did you keep any replacement heifers?

Our steer vs heifer weights at the sale barn are usually heavier, but then we keep the top end of the heifers at home for replacement heifers.

Yes and yes. I rarely keep a top end heifer, even with a great lineage, if she has attitude, skittish or I simply don't like her. And I've kept some dinks that barely squeaked by on their pelvic measurements just because there was something about her I really liked. So as a general rule the heifers I don't retain/do sell are representative of the (heifer) calf crop.