Buy the right bull, pick the best-looking heifers to keep back as replacements, and sell the rest of the calves. That’s how most commercial cow-calf producers have continued to improve their herds with each new generation. But is this proven practice going to continue working in a rapidly shifting industry?
“The fundamentals of the beef industry are changing quickly, and it’s unlikely we’ll ever get back to the herd inventory that we saw 10 years ago,” says Lane Giess, Zoetis beef genetics technical services. “We have more data and tools available to us today than ever before, and as the industry continues to evolve, using this information to choose the right replacement females is going to become even more critical.”
Dan Tracy, DVM, Zoetis beef technical services, couldn’t agree more. He challenges all producers to look for ways to maximize efficiency and sustainability to help future-proof the cow-calf herd.
“We’re at a crossroads in the cattle industry, and there is a large opportunity currently presented to the commercial cow-calf producer, especially when it comes to replacement heifer selection and management,” Tracy says.
Using Genomics to Identify Heifers with Long-Term Potential
Rather than choosing replacements primarily because they are older, larger, or visually appealing, genomic tools can help identify females with genetics that better fit an operation’s goals. With dependable genetic insights, cattle producers can complement their intuition and add an extra layer of confidence when making selection, breeding and marketing decisions.
“The traditional emphasis on calving ease, birth weights and weaning weights is only part of the equation to long-term performance and sustainability,” Giess says. “As we shift to producing more beef with even fewer resources, we may have to place greater emphasis on selecting for cattle health and adaptability as well.”
Genetics platforms such as INHERIT Select help remove any environmental or color biases and truly focus on the genetic potential of each animal, to help producers optimize based on production goals. The Zoetis Cow/Calf (ZCC) Index, for example, evaluates and ranks females for predicted genetic differences in net returns during the cow-calf phase of production — from sustained reproductive performance and cow costs to the sale weight of weaned calves.
“My best recommendation is to use economic selection indexes and couple them with the traits that matter most to you and your production system,” Giess says.
Protecting the Genetic Investment with a Strong Health Program
More strategic genetic selection provides the opportunity for incremental improvement over generations, but good herd management is essential for those genetics to be expressed. Vaccination programs, solid biosecurity, disease diagnostics and herd surveillance should all be part of the replacement-heifer conversation as well.
“We spend a lot of time and money selecting the perfect sire to produce the best possible crop of replacement animals,” Tracy explains. “But an underlying disease condition can sabotage your best efforts before you ever really get started.”
That’s why he recommends working closely with your local herd veterinarian to better understand potential disease risks and develop a vaccination program that protects the cow and her future calf.
“A farm veterinarian relationship is paramount, because they know the potential risks in your area, they know your herd, and they will be able to help you create a plan to safeguard that long-term replacement heifer investment that you’re making,” he says.
