OFFICIAL PUBLICATION of the HEARTLAND LIMOUSIN ASSOCIATION • NOV/DEC 2019
ADVERTISERS A Night on the Town Sale............... 5 B Bar Cattle................................IFC Bosch Farms.................................... 3 Boyer’s Harvest Barn..................... 10 Bullis Creek Ranch........................ 25 Crockett Rose Branch Farm.......... 13 Diamond W Ranch......................... 9 Fullblood Limousin Alliance........... 7 GV Limousin.................................. 7 HLA Commerical Sale.................. 13 MC Marketing Management......... 19 Moore Family Farms..................... 13 Red Revival V Sale........................ 19 Symens Brothers............................ 24 Vorthmann Limousin.................... 11 Wulf Cattle...............................OBC
attle producers who employ fall calving should be making certain replacement heifers to be used in late November are ready. Producers should be working with their large animal veterinarian to ensure their yearling replacement heifers are properly immunized for respiratory diseases such as infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD). “IBR is a highly contagious, infectious respiratory disease that can affect young and older cattle,” Barry Whitworth, Oklahoma State University veterinarian, said in a university news release. “In addition to respiratory disease, the virus can cause a number of systemic ailments, including abortions.” BVD is a disease in cattle and other ruminants caused by the bovine viral diarrhea virus, and may cause resorption, abortion, and stillbirth. Congenitally infected fetuses that survive may be born as infected calves. “The infection in these calves will persist throughout the animal’s entire life, and they will shed BVDV continuously in the farm or ranch environment,” Whitworth said. Replacement heifers should be vaccinated at least one month before the start of breeding season. “This would be a good time to include other reproductive disease protection that may be recommended by your veterinarian,” Whitworth said. “Examples of other immunizations that should be considered include
Volume 27 • Issue 5
STATE NEWS Iowa News..................................8-10 Kansas News........................12 & 13 Minnesota News........................... 14 Missouri News.....................16 & 17 Nebraska News.............................. 18 South Dakota News.............20 & 21 Wisconsin News............................ 22
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leptospirosis and campylobacter, sometimes called vibriosis.” Weigh the heifers if a set of scales is available. There is time to make adjustments to supplementation being fed to the heifers to ensure they meet the target weight at the start of the breeding season. OSU animal science research showed replacement heifers should weigh 60% or more of their mature weight to ensure a high percentage of heifers and cycling at the start of the season. “If these heifers will eventually grow into 1,200-lb. cows, they must weigh 720 lbs. at the beginning of the estrous synchronization and artificial insemination, or bull turn-out if natural breeding is used,” said Glenn Selk, OSU Extension animal scientist emeritus. Calculate the weight gain needed between now and the start of the breeding season to see if additional
Time-Dated Material
Back In Time..........................3 & 18 Covering Ground............................ 4 Fullblood Limousin Alliance......... 22 Heartland Calendar......................... 3 Heartland Highlights.................... 23 Junior Beat.................................... 15 On The Road Again........................ 6 Recipe of the Month....................... 6 Sale Reports.............................24-27
Are Replacement Heifers Ready for Fall Breeding?
Heartland Limousin Association • 23244 Gopher Drive• East Bethel, MN 55005
NEWS
energy is required to achieve the desired gain. Some producers may choose to grow heifers at a lower rate and attempt to breed them at 55% or lower of their estimated mature weight. “In this scenario, about twice as many heifers need to be raised, synchronized and inseminated in order to ensure adequate numbers are bred in a timely manner to meet the future needs of the herd,” Selk said. All replacement heifers need to be pregnancy checked about 60 days after the breeding season so that nonpregnant heifers can be marketed as soon as possible. “A number of smaller cow-calf operations will not have scales available to monitor weight gain,” Selk said. “The next best evaluation tool is to monitor body condition of the heifers. If all of the heifers are in a body condition score of six, then they should meet the desired target weight.” Ribs will be fully covered and not noticeable to the eye in a heifer with a body condition score of six. Hindquarters will be plump and full. There will be noticeable sponginess over the foreribs and on each side of the tail head. “Given adequate summer forage, heifers should need only a small amount of protein supplement, say one or two pounds of high protein—about 40% protein—supplement per head per day to maintain adequate body condition going into the breeding season,” Selk said.