Fall Cow Herd Management

Management objective: Evaluate production and shape herd for future management and marketing decisions

Points to Remember

• Performance records in commercial herds allow for improved productivity of the herd as a whole. Records can be as simple as a count of the number of calves born each 21 day interval during the calving season to give an indication of the reproductive performance of the herd.
• Those wishing more detail may tag the cows and new born calves and take weaned weights and possibly birth weights to allow for culling and selection for growth potential. The records pinpoint areas of opportunity to change the management strategy to improve growth and fertility and thereby increase profit.
• Pregnancy testing as a routine practice is an important tool in the efficient operation of a beef cow herd.
• The cost of carrying open cows for a full year without any return should be carefully considered compared to her loss in depreciation.
• Barren and older cows are the first group that should be culled from the herd.
• Usually 15% to 18% of cows will need to be replaced each year just to account for the open and unsound cows and any death losses.
• Culling the beef herd should be a year-round program to identify poor productivity and conformity.
• Fleshier cull cows should be sold immediately upon culling rather than feeding for a longer time.
• Cows that are thin may be to gain an additional 150 to 250 pounds provided that the additional gain is worth more than the cost of gain. In younger cows this may not only increases the returns from more weight but may also improve grades and price.
• Unless sold into specialized markets, feeding cows too long tends to produce too much expensive fat which will lower the potential for profit.

• Pregnancy testing not only identifies open cows, but will also give you a good picture of your next calving season, and identifies late calving cows which could suggest possible breeding problems.
• Internal and external parasites will be found on most cattle. The cost of treatment is money well spent. Work out the best program for your operation with your veterinarian.
• Keep only structurally sound pregnant cows with good feet, legs & udders.
• Sell any extremely thin or old cows.
• Use calf performance records to cull cows after open, unsound, old and thin cows are culled.
• Maintenance of the cow in the first and second trimester is the period of least stress to the cow and her fetus. Feeding so the cows lose weight may by an economic strategy during this time. However do not harvest excessive back fat where the cows will need to be fed to regain to the proper condition score for the calving season.
• A condition score of 2 to 2.5 is the target for cows at calving. Twice as much feed is required to add one condition score to a thin cow (90 - 100 bushels of barley) as is saved by underfeeding a fat cow to loss one condition score (45 to 50 bushels of barley).

• Determine feed inventory, leave higher quality feed for just before calving and for lactating cows until good grass is available.
• Sample feeds for testing.
• Check budget for cash flow and tax planning.
• Review and evaluate potential benefits of preconditioning, early weaning and backgrounding programs.

Other Documents in the Series