Choosing to Prioritize Heifer Profitability By Brandi Buzzard Frobose, Director of Communications and Editor Heifers represent the future of all cattle herds and as such, they are often subject to increased scrutiny and finely detailed management. For good reason too, as the potential for genetic improvement and increased profits lies squarely on their shoulders. There is no shortage of data that highlights the beneficial effects of nutrition and reproductive management on the success of replacement heifers and their longevity in the herd. The pressure on heifers to carry the operation into a profitable future consequently led to the development and launch of the Red Angus Association of America’s Red Choice program. The program was developed to promote improved heifer development, increase marketing opportunities for Red Angus females and create reliable sources of high-quality replacement heifers for cattle producers. Red Choice was based upon the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program after RAAA staff spent several years observing the positive impact the program had on the overall quality of the Missouri state cow herd. The program embraces proven reproductive and genetic management practices which, in turn, lead to high-quality, long-lasting females that are ready to hit the ground running in commercial herds.
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Victor Miller, of Halfway, Missouri, was a long-time enrollee of the Show-MeSelect Replacement Heifer Program and knowing its success, he was encouraged to push forward with Red Choice as an early-adopter.
Dana Mathes, a producer from Unionville, Missouri, who has been involved in Red Choice since 2020 says the biggest benefit thus far has been the consistency in calves from his Red Choice heifers.
Miller, who has been involved with the Red Choice program as a pilot herd since 2020, is thus far happy with his involvement in the program. He signed on because he wanted to help the industry learn more about quality livestock.
“We don’t have to sell our calves in cuts – we can sell a potload at a time, which will bring $3 to $5 more per hundred more than a group of 10-15 and buyers like that. We aim to give them what they want.
“I’m all for helping the industry have better beef,” he said. Miller is a proponent of Red Choice because it disseminates information about quality heifers and makes them more available to the industry. He is also a big supporter of the popular Feeder Calf Certification Program and has been enrolling his cattle for seven years. He attests that the benefits far outweigh the minimal cost of enrollment. “I find a lot of value in the Red Choice program for myself and I want other people to know the value of these management principles and having a good relationship with their vet. I also am very happy with the FCCP as it’s a marketing program that has helped me quite a bit.”
RED ANGUS Magazine | May/June 2022
“We’ve also been tagging our Red Angus calves with the FCCP yellow tag for three years now and that’s just another valuable step in profitability. A consistent cut of calves that are verified is appealing to our buyers,” said Mathes. An intangible side effect to the program is the strengthened relationship between producers and their veterinarians. Multiple visits are built into the program’s guidelines for prebreeding and pregnancy exams, which can lead to many producers recognizing the economic incentive for upgrading and improving their working facilities. “Producers need to believe it will make the process better – there should be a demand for better facilities because it pays to do so. The Missouri program has done that and those producers are
