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Replacement Heifer Weights

DejaVu

Well-known member
When you select your replacement heifers, what weight do you target for at breeding time? 650lbs? 700lbs? 750lbs? Believe there was some research done recently that advocated lighter breeding weights were as acceptable as heavier. I'm trying to get a group ready for a private sale and am unsure as to what's an acceptable weight. I've got a scale and know what they weigh, just wondered what weight most consider acceptable.
 

Lonecowboy

Well-known member
55-60% of what their mature body weight will be:


1200# mature weight=660-720#

but I can tell you from experience bigger usually sell better,
then people wonder how they got these 1600-700# cows
 

Justin

Well-known member
Lonecowboy said:
55-60% of what their mature body weight will be:


1200# mature weight=660-720#

but I can tell you from experience bigger usually sell better,
then people wonder how they got these 1600-700# cows


very true..everybody wants big heifers, but nobody wants big cows :roll: :?

700-750 is fine by me
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Lonecowboy said:
55-60% of what their mature body weight will be:


1200# mature weight=660-720#

but I can tell you from experience bigger usually sell better,
then people wonder how they got these 1600-700# cows

Yep-- thats about where I shoot for-- and somewhere near 1000 for a weight at calving time- altho I've had some good mommas that didn't weigh much more than that all their life and still brought in a 600lb calf...
 

Northern Rancher

Well-known member
I don't get my resaale heifers quite that big but the guys who buy from me know how we run things so it doesn't bother them. Pree BSE I sold 75 breds to a guy-his Dad bought 200 heifers that were 300 pounds heavier and two hundred a head cheaper. He was a new customer and I got the 'we bought better cattle cheaper phone call'. I said lets visit on it after calving-after the vet bill and grief on the lardies mine ended up cheaper in the long run. If your selling at a salebarn I think size probably does make yopu some money-nobody can tell what a heifer will be like maternally by lookking at her but most of us can figure out which one is bigger. If your selling private treaty you can be less inclined to follow the crowd. I don't really have a target weight-I run them all the same if she is able to cycle andbreed she becomes a cow if she can't she doesn't. Target weights can be the darling of extenstion agrologists and feed salesmen.
 

Doug Thorson

Well-known member
I could give a flying you know what as to the weight of replacement heifers I am keeping for myself. I make sure to feed them so I can tell good from bad and that means 20% look like junk. If they all look good, I overfed.

If they are gaining, they will cycle.
Turn the bull out when the grass is the best. I judge that to be the day before I start the windrower.
 

Grassfarmer

Well-known member
Justin said:
Lonecowboy said:
55-60% of what their mature body weight will be:


1200# mature weight=660-720#

but I can tell you from experience bigger usually sell better,
then people wonder how they got these 1600-700# cows


very true..everybody wants big heifers, but nobody wants big cows :roll: :?

700-750 is fine by me

Isn't that the truth! I'm buying some Angus heifers out of a purebred/commercial herd to use in my grass-fed program. They are basically the culls for being "too small" and having "not enough frame" - they don't have frozen ears (so likely weren't born very early last spring) but are already over 700lbs and it's only February. Makes me wonder how big and how much the keepers weighed :shock:
 

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