– Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA, Fairfield County
In order to be economically viable, a beef cow must produce and wean a calf annually. One of the first steps in determining if a female will do that in 2022 is confirming yet this year that she is, indeed, with calf. No one plans for a cow or heifer to remain open, yet we all have some that fail to breed in a timely fashion, or at all. Considering the value of cull cows and also cull bulls presently, the reproductive and ultimately the economic efficiency of a beef herd can easily be enhanced with a post breeding pregnancy examination for every cow and heifer.
During the fifth session of the 2021 Ohio Beef Cattle Management School that was hosted via ZOOM by the Ohio State University Extension Beef Team this past winter, a portion of the program included discussion on the economic significance of confirming pregnancy in beef cows and the various diagnostic methods that are available. Listen in below as OSU Extension Educator Al Gahler discusses the economic returns to the operation realized through pregnancy checking cows in a timely fashion, and the various methods it can be accomplished.