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?
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?