Impact of Winter Supplementation of May Calving Cows and Heifer Development System in Two Different Breeding Seasons on Subsequent Growth and Reproduction

In Exp. 1, May-calving cows were utilized to evaluate the effects of winter supplementation on heifer progeny. Cows grazed either dormant upland winter range with or without a protein supplement or grazed dormant meadow with or without a protein supplement. In Exp. 2, replacement heifers from March and May calving herds were offered ad libitum meadow hay and 4 lb/d supplement or grazed meadow and offered 1 lb/d supplement from mid-January to mid-April. Calf weaning BW and ADG from birth to weaning was less for calves from cows grazing winter range with no supplement compared with all other dam treatments. Heifer development system did not impact final pregnancy rates. Therefore, a reduced input winter heifer development system is a viable option in both early and late summer breeding seasons. However, winter supplementation of May-calving dams did influence heifer progeny ADG from birth to weaning

Effect of Dam Age on Offspring Productivity

Records collected from 1997 to 2014 were analyzed to evaluate the effects of dam age on off spring productivity. Steer calves born from young mothers (2 and 3 yr old dams) had lighter carcasses with more carcasses grading Choice and upper 2/3 Choice. Th e calving performance and reproductive performance in the second breeding season for heifer calves born from first calving dams were the lowest compared with heifers born from multiparous dams. A quadratic effect of dam age on off spring performance was observed; as dam age increased, off spring performance increased, until dam age reached 7 to 8 yr and then off spring performance decreased

Impact of Winter Supplementation of May Calving Cows and Heifer Development System in Two Different Breeding Seasons on Subsequent Growth and Reproduction

In Exp. 1, May-calving cows were utilized to evaluate the effects of winter supplementation on heifer progeny. Cows grazed either dormant upland winter range with or without a protein supplement or grazed dormant meadow with or without a protein supplement. In Exp. 2, replacement heifers from March and May calving herds were offered ad libitum meadow hay and 4 lb/d supplement or grazed meadow and offered 1 lb/d supplement from mid-January to mid-April. Calf weaning BW and ADG from birth to weaning was less for calves from cows grazing winter range with no supplement compared with all other dam treatments. Heifer development system did not impact final pregnancy rates. Therefore, a reduced input winter heifer development system is a viable option in both early and late summer breeding seasons. However, winter supplementation of May-calving dams did influence heifer progeny ADG from birth to weaning

Impact of Heifer Development System in Two Different Breeding Seasons

Replacement heifers from March and May calving herds were offered ad libitum meadow hay and 4 lb/d supplement or grazed meadow and offered 1 lb/d supplement from mid- January to mid- April. Heifers fed hay gained more during the treatment; however, heifers grazing meadow experienced compensatory gain, resulting in similar body weight at pregnancy diagnosis in both calving herds. Pregnancy rates were similar between treatment groups in March and May heifers. A reduced input winter management system is a viable option to maintain pregnancy rates in early and late summer breeding seasons

Economics of Rebreeding Non- pregnant Females

A budget analysis compared the economics of selling non- pregnant spring- calving cows immediately aft er pregnancy diagnosis or re- breeding non- pregnant cows to be sold as pregnant fall- calving cows in more favorable market prices. Simulation performed for the last 5 yr of market prices demonstrated the strategy is cost effective in different market scenarios, excluding the year 2012/2013. Due to drought, feed prices were the highest and cow prices the lowest of the 5 yr analyzed. Other than atypical scenarios like drought, positive economic results would be possible even at low pregnancy rates, but as the pregnancy rate increases net proceeds also increase