What causes heifers not to breed?
The most common cause of infertility in beef herds is poor cow nutrition. Over conditioning can also be detrimental, especially in heifers, but is far less common a problem. Body condition before calving, after calving, and at breeding can all contribute to infertility.
Should cows be bred every year?
“A cow should have a calf every year.” That is a very straightforward and simple statement, but cattlemen know it takes effort, planning and management to make this happen. One way to achieve this goal is to establish well-defined breeding and calving seasons.
Can you breed a heifer at a year old?
Most heifers will reach puberty and be bred by 12 to 14 months of age and will be between 55% and 65% of their mature weight when they first begin to exhibit estrous cycles. There are, in some cases, beef females that will cycle at less than a year of age and become pregnant. This is called precocious puberty.
Why do cows not breed back?
Cattle mineral also plays a role in tissue repair, helping the cow’s reproductive tract repair from calving and prepare for breeding. If the tract is not fully repaired, a cow may have challenges being rebred or she may not breed back at all. Cows must be rebred within 85 days of calving to have one calf per year.
Can you breed a bull with his daughters?
Can a bull breed with its offspring, daughter and granddaughter, without genetic problems? You can have father-daughter matings in beef cattle, but it is not recommended. This type of breeding practice is called inbreeding or close breeding.
What is the most fertile breed of cattle?
Devons
Devons are one of the most highly fertile of all cattle breeds. Calving percentages in the high nineties can be expected on good nutrition.
When is the best time to breed a heifer?
Heifers raised in a cow-calf operation are selected for breeding to be used as replacements for females culled from the herd, to expand the herd or to be sold as pregnant heifers. The age to breed these heifers is an important decision for beef cattle producers. Historically, heifers were first bred at 2 yr of age, but as beef production
Can a heifer be behind in its development?
Animals can be behind in their development at any point and still catch up. The most critical point is that heifers be at the desired weight for breeding, which is approximately 65% of their mature weight. At this weight, most of the heifers will have attained puberty.
How much weight does a heifer need to gain before calving?
Heifers need to gain only about .8 lb/day from the time they are bred up until calving, and this is usually achieved on pasture alone. Again, while it seems easy to achieve this performance goal, the heifers should not be turned out and ignored before calving.
When do you start feeding a replacement heifer?
The nutritional development program is divided into stages of development which include; pre-weaning, weaning, weaning to breeding, breeding to first calving, first calving to second breeding, and the second post-calving period. Good management of the replacement heifer starts before birth.
When do heifers need to be bred before the main cow herd?
Heifers bred before the main cow herd, will calve earlier in the season and should be cycling normally by the time the main cow herd is being bred the following year, provided adequate nutrition and management are in place. If heifers are to be good lifetime producers, they must show heat and conceive early in the breeding season.
When do replacement beef heifers go into puberty?
Three factors associated with puberty in the replacement heifer are weight, age and breed. Weight is thought to be the major determining factor affecting puberty in heifers at 14-15 months of age.
What happens to a heifer when she is underfed?
Specifically the pelvic opening is reduced in underfed heifers and no reduction in calving difficulty is observed. Underfeeding heifers does result in heifers weak at the time of calving, lower calf survival rates, less milk for calf growth and rebreeding is more difficult.
How old do you have to be to calving a heifer?
Research has shown that the lifetime productivity of beef females can be increased by calving heifers at two years of age. This goal can be achieved by producers willing to provide the required nutrition and management to the growing replacement heifer. Producers should aim to calve their replacement heifers by two years of age.