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Beef heifer development within three calving systems.

E E Grings1, T W Geary, R E Short

  • 1Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Miles City, MT 59301, USA. elaine.grings@ars.usda.gov

Journal of Animal Science
|May 1, 2007
PubMed
Summary
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Beef heifer management can utilize constant or delayed gain strategies, regardless of calving system or weaning age, without impacting reproductive readiness for breeding. This offers producers flexibility in heifer calf management.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Science
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Beef Cattle Production

Background:

  • Optimizing beef heifer development is crucial for herd productivity.
  • Calving systems, weaning ages, and postweaning management influence heifer growth and reproductive outcomes.
  • Understanding these interactions is key for efficient beef production systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of calving system, weaning age, and postweaning management on beef heifer growth and reproductive performance.
  • To compare constant gain versus delayed gain postweaning management strategies.
  • To determine the effects on breeding season onset and pregnancy rates.

Main Methods:

  • A 3-year study involving 676 beef heifers with varied birth dates (late winter, early spring, late spring).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Heifers were weaned at different ages (140, 190, or 240 days) and assigned to constant gain or delayed gain postweaning treatments.
  • Data analyzed using mixed models, focusing on average daily gain, body weight at breeding, and reproductive cyclicity.

    • Main Results:

    • Delayed gain heifers experienced less initial growth but compensatory gain before breeding, with no significant difference in breeding season body weight compared to constant gain heifers.
    • Calving system and weaning age significantly affected prebreeding body weight, with earlier calving and later weaning resulting in heavier heifers.
    • No treatment effects were observed on luteal activity at breeding or overall pregnancy rates.

    Conclusions:

    • Beef heifers from diverse calving systems and weaning strategies can achieve breeding readiness through either constant or delayed gain management.
    • These management strategies do not negatively affect the proportion of heifers cycling at the start of the breeding season.
    • Producers have flexible management options for heifer calves within different calving systems to optimize development and reproductive success.