Proof of Superior Feed Efficiency Utilizing Limousin & Lim-Flex® Genetics

Trading Up in Herd Revenue I n any market, one of the most straightforward means of increasing herd productivity and revenue might be one too easily taken for granted: selecting heifers that breed early in the breeding season.

“Heifers that become pregnant early in their first breeding season remain in the herd longer and are more productive,” Cliff Lamb, head of the animal science department at Texas A&M University. “The number one reason we cull animals early in the herd is because they fail to breed during the breeding season.” This was during an annual Cattlemen’s College.

In fact, using data from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center—some 25,000 heifers—Lamb explained heifers that became pregnant within the first 21 days of their first breeding season weaned the equivalent of three-quarters of another calf during their production lifetime, compared to heifers that didn’t conceive until after 21 days.

“Age at puberty is a major factor that influences reproductive success of beef heifers,” Lamb explains in, Prebreeding Management for Successful Development of Beef Replacement Heifers. “Ideally, heifers should reach puberty approximately 60 days before the beginning of their first breeding season, increasing their chances of becoming pregnant and allowing them to conceive earlier in the season. The timing of first conception is also important to the overall productivity of a heifer.” He adds that mature cows that calve at the beginning of the calving season also wean heavier calves.

Weight and age are two primary drivers of age at puberty in heifers; adequate nutrition is key.

“It is important to consider that Bos taurus (European) beef heifers generally reach puberty at 55–60 percent of their expected mature body weight. With that in mind, the use of a target average daily gain (ADG) is a common and effective way to prepare heifers for breeding,” Lamb says. “It is recommended that Bos Indicus (Brahman) influenced heifers achieve 60–65 percent of their mature body weight before the breeding season starts. A nutritional program should be capable of providing sufficient energy and protein to heifers so they can attain this final target weight before the beginning of the breeding season.”

Proving It

During his tenure as assistant director of the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center at Marianna, Lamb and fellow researchers verified the real-world benefits of getting heifers bred earlier in the season.

Lamb inherited management of a 300- head cow-calf operation. About half the mamas are Angus or Sim-Angus; the other half are Brangus or Braford. Management was loose and the calving season long.

“We decided that from a production standpoint, the number one thing we needed to select for was pregnancy,” Lamb says. He adds that reproduction has four times the economic impact on herd economics than any other trait.

Specifically, Lamb and his crew developed a set of non-negotiable rules for cows to enter and remain in the herd. Every female must: Ї Calve by the time she’s 2 years old Ї Calve every year Ї Calve without assistance—that includes replacement heifers and any amount of assistance. Lamb explains

that data indicates pregnancy rates are 10 percent less in cows that require assistance of any kind Ї Provide sufficient resources for her calf to reach its genetic potential Ї Raise a calf genetically capable of performing to expectations. If a heifer has a calf that doesn’t perform, the heifer is culled Ї Maintain the Body Condition Score for their conditions. That keeps them away from having to manage more than one group of heifers and cows in terms of nutrition Ї Be calm From a management standpoint, they followed these rules Ї Only heifers that become pregnant within the first 25 days of the breeding season are considered as replacements Ї The breeding season will be tightened as much as possible Ї Every female is exposed to synchronization and artificial insemination (AI). Rather than think of synchronization as way to get semen in the cow or heifer, Lamb encourages producers to think of it as reproductive technology that stimulates cycling With heifer selection and these rules in mind, Lamb emphasizes their first criteria was breeding within the first 25 days. Rather than select heifers and then hope enough of them get bred on time, they synchronized and bred 90 heifers. Typically, 70-80 heifers were bred on time. That left them 10-20 to cull based on other criteria in order to arrive at the 60 needed replacements. The results were stunning. A higher percentage of cows and heifers calve within the first 30 days each succeeding year. After six year, calves were worth $169 per head (price constant basis) more, much of it due simply to a higher percentage of calves being born earlier in the season.

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Cattle Bred for Performance OPTIMUM GENETIC P O L L E D H E R E F O R D S B L A C K A N G U S H O R N E D H E R E F O R D S Two-year-olds www.hoopercattlecompany.com EPDs 9/23/18 205 D. W.W. TAG # SIRE DAM B.DATE B.W. W.W. ADJ.WT RATIO W.D.A. Y.W. B.W. W.W. Y.W. MILK M&G 8105 Brk 6128 12/19/17 79 720 657 112 2.58 1,345 1.6 40 61 18 38 8108 Tiger 9217 12/23/17 68 690 585 93 2.53 1,250 -1.0 33 60 23 n/a 8133 Tiger 8117 01/07/18 71 635 575 91 2.46 1,205 0.1 36 66 25 n/a 8145 574 9143 01/10/18 86 630 539 92 2.46 1,305 2.6 41 75 23 43 8147 849 9202 01/10/18 72 665 569 97 2.59 1,245 0.4 36 57 23 41 8162 3106 2179 01/18/18 88 675 588 100 2.72 1,285 3.2 47 72 22 45 8175 574 1207 01/25/18 86 675 558 100 2.75 1,215 1.7 41 74 26 47 8178 Z24 4139 01/26/18 82 665 610 104 2.77 1,360 4.6 48 77 29 53 8203 Tiger 2162 02/02/18 78 690 637 98 2.97 1,335 -1.1 42 73 23 n/a 8215 574 2207 02/13/18 92 665 624 105 2.99 1,325 3.6 47 81 27 50 3/21/19 — Registered Herefords & Black Angus — Hooper C attle ompany OFFERING: 16 Black Angus, and 24 Polled & Horned Hereford Bulls

Yearlings EPDs 9/21/19 205 D. W.W. TAG # SIRE DAM B.DATE B.W. W.W. ADJ.WT RATIO W.D.A. B.W. W.W. Y.W. MILK M&G 9104 TG 2208 12/15/18 70 780 654 105 2.78 -0.2 40 67 28 n/a 9105 1211 1115 12/15/18 65 695 583 94 2.48 0.9 46 77 22 n/a 9109 TG 0117 12/18/18 75 730 616 100 2.63 0.7 51 86 17 n/a 9112 59 2204 12/20/18 85 750 636 108 2.72 2.2 56 97 23 n/a 9113 574 9143 12/20/18 64 690 570 99 2.50 3.1 43 78 24 45 9119 1211 1121 12/23/18 77 745 633 102 2.73 0.7 45 78 24 n/a 9122 BRK 7211 12/23/18 85 645 602 112 2.37 2.1 44 67 23 45 9123 59 1213 12/24/18 82 700 597 101 2.58 1.4 49 86 25 n/a 9124 Z24 5113 12/24/18 82 595 503 96 2,19 3.9 43 67 24 46 9127 3106 5406 12/25/19 90 665 567 104 2.46 2.6 43 65 21 43 9131 Z24 5123 12/26/18 79 600 510 98 2.23 3.4 49 77 26 51 9134 849 0215 12/29/18 80 600 499 93 2.25 2.8 45 67 27 50 9140 59 9146 12/31/18 82 720 643 100 2.72 0.5 44 78 25 n/a 9143 06 4221 01/02/19 79 635 540 99 2.42 3.1 43 68 24 46 9145 574 4139 01/02/19 82 605 514 95 2.30 2.2 45 81 30 52 9147 1211 4214 01/04/19 81 770 668 108 2.96 1.2 52 91 22 n/a 9152 Z24 1207 01/05/19 87 655 552 106 2.52 3.6 45 71 28 51 9157 849 3157 01/07/19 94 715 608 111 2,78 4.3 49 75 31 56 9164 574 3114 01/09/19 90 625 536 93 2.45 2.2 45 76 26 48 9172 BRK 7118 01/11/19 91 585 566 99 2,31 1.9 44 67 21 43 9173 574 2207 01/11/19 92 715 611 106 2.82 3.4 48 83 28 52 9174 W 7015 01/12/19 77 765 741 113 3.03 0.8 60 105 18 n/a 9176 TG 4230 01/14/19 78 670 593 95 2.68 1.1 45 80 23 n/a 9178 W 1144 01/15/19 90 740 657 106 2.97 3.2 60 102 22 n/a 9186 59 1216 01/28/19 82 670 603 102 2.83 1.5 52 92 26 n/a 9188 849 2122 01/30/19 95 675 608 113 2.88 3.4 45 72 30 53 9203 RCH 5201 02/10/19 88 595 579 98 2.64 1.9 48 84 27 n/a 9206 849 4227 02/18/19 88 635 616 105 2.92 4.6 49 76 30 54 9301 849 6118 03/02/19 85 580 607 98 2.82 3.1 46 72 29 53 9305 Z24 6132 03/19/19 78 575 636 102 3.05 2.7 43 66 23 44 9306 849 6206 03/30/19 92 580 666 114 3.27 3.5 44 70 30 52