Which Cows Are Worth Keeping? Select Cows That Best Fit Your Operation
In a year like this, taking time to evaluate your herd and its present genetics may be valuable to set your operation up for success in the coming years.
For a spring calving cow, with a weaning-aged calf at her side, now’s a great time to evaluate the performance of that cow for your operation. Experts at the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University share their insights for consideration.
Body Condition Score
From a nutritional standpoint, body condition score can be a good place to start. However, it’s important to analyze why “thin cows” are thin. Are they producing more milk than the forage resources can support? Therefore, will they take additional or supplemental feed resources to get back to breeding condition?
In a drought year, these factors may be emphasized. However, as droughts may occur more than once in a cow’s lifetime, now might be a good time to genetically select for cows that “do better” during tougher environment years.
Frame Size
Frame size may also be a key factor to assess when selecting the best cows for your operation and the environment.
Is there a cow that is noticeably larger than all your other cows? More frame may simply mean more “groceries” are required to keep that cow in good body condition.
Easy-Keeping Cows
As Bob Larson, K-State DVM, says, “I think you can ask it both as a population, a whole-herd question or as individuals. I would start at the percentage of cows that breed up. So, cows that breed up and wean a calf, if I didn't have to spend a lot of resources supplementing them, they fit my environment; that's the definition of they fit my environment.”
He also notes, cows must bring up a decent quality calf, not simply survive and bring up a “donkey calf.” The cow must also have sufficient body condition and rebreed readily.
It’s also important to consider the whole herd pregnancy percentage. In the case where a large percentage of cows come up open, it’s important to consider the breeding season and strategy to see if any adjustments should be made.
Net Benefit
Cows producing a large calf that also require an excessive amount of feed to keep in body condition must be evaluated. Brad White, K-State DVM, says it’s not about the gross received, it's about the net benefit.
Feed is often a limiting resource, so producers need to consider whether the operation is better off having fewer, larger calves out of large-framed cows; or, could the operation benefit from having more, potentially smaller-framed calves out of smaller-framed cows?
Also, a thin cow this time of year doesn't necessarily mean she's out of line with the environment, as long as she can get back into body condition on the normal feeding regiment.
While there are many things to consider when deciding which cows to keep and which to cull, evaluating these factors may be helpful in setting your operation up for success in the years to come.
