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. 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. 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. “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.” 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. “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. “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

routinely getting a couple hundred dollars more per head for heifers in the program than comparable heifers who aren’t enrolled,” said Dr. Jordan Thomas, assistant professor and state cow-calf specialist in the division of animal sciences at the University of Missouri.

Nolan Woodruff, RAAA commercial marketing specialist, attests that profitability is at the forefront of nearly all producers’ minds.

“We all know that money plays a huge factor in all cow herds and if we can make a female more productive, resulting in more calves on the ground, we can be more profitable as ranchers,” said RAAA commercial marketing specialist Nolan Woodruff.

Mathes agrees and encourages other producers to enroll in Red Choice, especially in an industry with such tight margins. “You’re either in it for a living or a hobby,” Mathes said. “The difference between operations who are early adopters and those who are resistant to change is profitability. This business is too tight not to take advantage of marketing programs that are complementary to your breed of cattle,” he added.

Thomas is excited about the long-term vision for the Red Choice program and its goals for serving beef industry stakeholders and producers. He hopes that the industry’s perception of heifers and their profit potential will change from “luck of the draw” to “planned profit.”

“It’s great to see systems-based problem solving designed to help commercial producers capture value in the genetics of the breed,” he said.

And although the increased management does have a few challenges, Miller attests that the benefits of such have far outweighed the drawbacks for producers who are willing to adopt the protocols and he truly believes it’s a worthwhile endeavor.

“I’m always going to try to improve my herd and the program is helping me measure where I’m at so I can move forward with better, more efficient genetics. I’m selling quality cattle that are predictable for the next person who owns them and that is very valuable.” //

“Money plays a huge factor in all cow herds and if we can make a female more productive, resulting in more calves on the ground, we can be more profitable as ranchers.”