NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF BOS INDICUS-INFLUENCED HEIFERS

FEATURE ARTICLE NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF BOS INDICUS- Influnced Heifers

by Carson Andersen, University of Missouri-Columbia Graduate Research Assistant and Jordan Thomas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor - State Beef Reproduction Specialist, University of Missouri-Columbia

Replacement heifers are the building blocks to a productive and profitable cowherd that will influence the success of your operation for many years to come. Each heifer development program has a multitude of critical management decisions that must be considered when developing successful replacement heifers.

Heifers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and breeds and because of this, management styles may vary from operation

to operation to match the animals’ needs. So, let’s talk Bos indicus-influenced cattle (e.g. Brangus). Should Bos indicusinfluenced heifers be managed differently than Bos taurus heifers? Yes and no. Bos indicus-influenced heifers really are different than Bos taurus heifers, in that Bos indicusinfluenced heifers attain puberty at a later age. Although that presents a challenge, and may require different management (continued on page 42)

(continued from page 41) strategies, the overall expectation for the breeding program should not be modified for Bos indicus-influenced heifers. Heifers simply need to be bred to calve at two years of age and to calve early in their first calving season. The question becomes: How we get that accomplished given the later age of puberty attainment in Bos indicus-influenced heifers?

For any breed, a proper plane of nutrition during growth and development is one of the most important influences on attainment of puberty. One metric that can assist in pushing for earlier attainment of puberty is ensuring that all heifers are developed to the recommended target weight. Target weight is expressed as a percentage of the mature weight as a cow. Here is where management strategies may vary among Bos indicusinfluenced and Bos taurus heifers. Sixty-five percent of mature weight has been a recommended target weight for many years and is effective across a large number of breed types and environments. For example, if a heifer is projected to weigh 1300 lb. at her mature weight, you would want her to weigh a minimum of 845 lb. by the start of her first breeding season (1300 x .65 = 845). More recently, economic considerations of the cost of heifer development has stimulated interest developing Bos taurus heifers to a lower 55 percent target weight. Research has shown that a 55 percent target weight still results in success among early maturing, crossbred Bos taurus. However, Bos indicus-influenced heifers developed to lower target weights have lower rates of puberty attainment and poor pregnancy rates. With this understanding, producers with Bos indicus-influenced heifers should use a 65 percent target weight.

Knowing the correct target weight to develop your heifers is a step towards success; however, it is important to make sure that heifers are actually hitting the target. The first step is to be sure you are estimating the weight of your mature cows correctly. Most producers’ cows weigh more than they think they do. If you underestimate the weight of your mature cows, you could end up under developing your heifers to a much lower target weight than you intend, ending up with a large proportion of heifers that are not cycling at the beginning of the breeding season. Ideally, obtain actual weights on your cows or at least on a representative portion of your cow herd.

Second, remember that target weight is the minimum weight that a heifer must reach before breeding, not the average weight of the group of heifers. If there is a lot of variation among your heifers in weight or condition, consider sorting heifers into different management groups. This will allow you to offer more nutrition to lighter heifers without over-conditioning heavier, fleshier heifers. Finally, quality and amount of nutrition is critical in whether the heifer will reach her target weight. Compare weight at weaning with the target weight and consider the number of days until breeding. Establish a goal for average daily gain that will allow heifers to successfully reach that target weight. Once the required rate of gain is calculated, developing a nutrition program will be relatively straightforward. A nutritionist or Extension specialist can be a tremendous help in formulating an affordable total mixed ration, or in evaluating your forage resources and developing a supplementation program if necessary.

Pre-breeding nutritional management heavily influences a heifer’s ability to perform. However, post-breeding management ensures continuation of the heifer’s success in the cow herd. Post-breeding management often receives less attention than pre-breeding management, but it is just as critical to the productivity and profitability of the herd. This is where management styles of Bos taurus and Bos indicusinfluenced heifers may look the same. Heifers will continue the need to gain weight and grow after the breeding season and will often require a greater level of supplementation than mature cows. For this reason, it is often recommended to separate heifers into their own management group in order to meet their nutritional requirements. Although adequate nutrition is critical prior to calving, heifers should not be over fed. Pre-breeding nutritional management heavily influences a heifer’s ability to perform. Post-breeding management [is] just as critical to the productivity and profitability of the herd.

Excessive body fat may decrease fertility at re-breeding and may impair milk production. Not only will overconditioning a heifer impair her reproductive performance, it is also not economical. Regardless of breed, it is usually recommended that heifers reach 85 percent of mature weight by the time of calving as two-year-olds. Meeting this target weight will help ensure calving ease, adequate milk production, and will help reestablish estrous cyclicity after calving to ensure the heifer can rebreed in a timely manner.

Of course, the first two to three months post-calving are also nutritionally demanding, particularly in these first calf heifers that are still growing themselves. This is a critical stage for the lifetime productivity of these females and investing in nutritional supplementation specifically for two-year-olds is usually money well-spent. An inadequate plane of nutrition can also be detrimental to the heifer’s milk production, which is needed for the calf’s growth and development. A proper plane of nutrition after calving will help reestablish cyclicity in timely manner to allow the heifer to breed back early in the breeding season.

Replacement females are the foundation to a successful cow herd and require careful consideration of development decisions to set them up to be productive cows. Although Bos indicus-influenced heifers are later maturing, they can still be nutritionally managed to attain puberty at an early age and bred to calve at two years of age.

SALE Summaries

CLOVER RANCH GRANTVILLE, GEORGIA | JUNE 20, 2020

Lots Gross Average

1 flush $11,000 $11,000 29 3-N-1’s $141,400 $4,876 40 open heifers $137,100 $3,428 12 bred heifers $38,300 $3,192 5 bred cows $14,700 $2,940 4 bulls $24,000 $6,000 91 total lots $366,500 $4,027

Sunny skies, great cattle, and 84 registered buyers from 13 states and Mexico were on hand for the inaugural Clover Ranch International Sale held in Grantville, Georgia. Outstanding hospitality greeted guests from across the country and the enthusiastic buyers snapped up the offering at a rapid pace.

The day’s high selling lot at $20,000, was Lot 15, CLVR MS New Vision 803C4 and her broody Coronado daughter at side. She is a daughter of the $30,000 803U21 donor and the dam of the pick heifer bought by Draggin M in Houston in 2019. She was safe to Crossroads and sold to Far Niente Farms, Valley Head, Alabama.

A bid price of $14,000 was the day’s second high selling lot as both Ganaderia Los Leones from Tamaulipas, Mexico and Rancho El Ancla from Nuevo León, Mexico claimed lot 99, CLVR Never Surrender 803G30. This powerful Never Surrender son boasted top 1% WW and REA and top 3% YW EPDs.

Herndon Farms, Lyons, Georgia paid $11,000 for the rights to flush lot 1, CLVR MS New Vision 803C2. She is a full sister to the high selling lot 15 and massive in her design.

Also selling for $11,000 was lot 2 and 2A. Bo Lutz, Calvert, Texas paid $8,500 to own lot 2A CLVR MS Jethro 415H4, the fancy show heifer prospect at the side of her recipient dam. Estrada Brangus, Durango, Mexico paid $2,500 to own her pregnant recipient dam safe with an embryo and out of the $80,000 Crossroads and the $21,000 half interest 302Y6.

Doreli Brangus, Sonora, Mexico paid $10,500 to own Lot 28, CLVR MS Coronado 415C2 and her good Marlboro bull calf at side. She is a granddaughter of the $70,000, 415R23 donor.

Draggin M Ranch, Eldorado, Aransas paid $8,500 to own lot 61, CLVR MS New Vision 23G57. This exposed heifer was a clear crowd favorite and sold AI’d to Business Line. QUAIL VALLEY RANCH BLOUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA | JUNE 6

Lots Gross Average

2 choice heifers $44,500 $22,250 9 donors and 3-N-1s $68,750 $7,639 10 bred heifers $54,000 $5,400 24 open heifers $125,250 $5,219 1 semen lot $10,000 $10,000 1 flush lot $5,000 $5,000 47 total lots $307,500 $6,543

A perfect early summer day including mild temperatures and balmy weather greeted over 300 guests from 14 states to the second annual Quail Valley Elite Invitational Sale in north central Alabama. The sale was held at the Quail Valley sale facility in Blountsville. High quality cattle, a beautiful setting and great hospitality were the order of the day as the offering met with overwhelming approval and rapid-fire bidding in efforts to own the elite sale offering. For the first time the sale featured both Santa Gertrudis and Brangus cattle. Both found ready acceptance.

The high selling Brangus was Lot 66, the choice of five yearling exposed heifers out of the $65,000, 30D donor sold this past year in the Genetic Edge Sale in Houston. The heifers were consigned by sale host, Quail Valley Farms, Oneonta, Alabama. Four of these heifers were sired by Never Surrender and one by Stonewall. The final bid price was $30,000 and the new owner is Phillips Ranch, Daytona Beach, Florida.

The second-high selling lot was Lot 75, T3 MS Never Surrender 240G5, at $20,000. This big bodied, broody female was consigned by T3 Brangus, Purvis, Mississippi. She was purchased by Tuna Rosa Ranch, Gonzales, Texas.

Star G Ranch, Van, Texas purchased the next high seller when they bid $18,000 to own Lot 70, T3 MS Tinseltown 30G. This powerful daughter of the $42,000, Tinseltown is a maternal sister to the Lot 66 sale topping females and out of 30D. She was consigned by T3.

Pennridge Ranch, Paige, Texas paid $14,500 to own Lot 90, the choice of two Never Surrender daughters out of the great 468P22 donor. Their choice writes 12 EPD traits ranking in the breed’s top 30%. These choice heifers were consigned by Quail Valley.

DOGUET’S DIAMOND D RANCH POTEET, TEXAS | APRIL 18, 2020

Lots

Brangus bulls Ultrablack bulls Commercial bred heifers Commercial open heifers

Average

$5,015 $4,545 $1,890 $1,030 (continued on page 49)