Controlling Reproductive Efficiency is Vital to Beef Cow Herd Profitability

Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA, Fairfield County

During the second session of the Ohio Beef Cow/Calf Workshop, Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Professor at the University of Kentucky, presented on reproduction efficiencies in the cow herd including getting cows rebred in a timely fashion whether utilizing artificial insemination or the natural service of herd bulls. He explained that a key to profitability each year is getting more calves, that weigh more, and the economics of timely calving and the pounds of weaning weight that are lost for each day later an individual cow calves out.

While seemingly easier said than done, this means that almost annually in any cow herd a few late calving cows must be moved up in their cycle. During his presentation, Dr. Anderson explained a research tested method of using CIDRs along with the natural service of a bull that has successfully moved the dates of late calving cows up an average of 30+ days in his on-farm trials.

In this 3 minute excerpt from his presentation, Anderson explains that simple CIDR use process he’s proven to be successful.

During his entire presentation, Dr. Anderson emphasized that the key to increasing profitability of the beef cow herd was maintaining focus on controlling costs, increasing quality, maximizing quantity and putting together groups of calves that can be efficiently marketed. Controlling reproductive efficiency is a critical means to that end.

Below is Dr. Anderson’s presentation in its entirety. This second session of the 2020 Ohio Beef Cow/Calf Workshop was hosted by the Ohio State University Extension Beef Team on February 13 at Claylick Run Farm near Newark, Ohio.