Key Points
• Assess the fertility and fecundity of your herd using cow condition score and heifer liveweight.
• Select cows capable of conceiving within two mating cycles.
• Select healthy fertile bulls for mating to achieve normal conception rates and a condensed calving pattern.
• Supervise calving to increase live calves born.
• After weaning cull cows needing intensive calving assistance.
• Use age, weight and condition score of calves as indicators for earlier weaning.
• Aim to wean calves when the efficiency of pasture use is greater for the calf alone than the cow–calf combination
• Use yard weaning to lift cattle productivity.
Why is maximising weaner throughput important?
Increasing the number of cattle sold each year has a major impact on the profitability of southern beef enterprises. Sales from a beef business include stock bred on the property, cull cows and any purchased trading stock.
There are two main components of weaner throughput:
1. The number of weaners produced and the total saleable kilograms of product from the enterprise.
2. The stocking rate.
The cow culling policy also contributes a significant financial return for southern beef enterprises.
Fecundity (the number of live calves per breeding female) is not discussed in this module despite its potential impact on the throughput of weaners and saleable product. There are currently no commercially viable means to increase twinning in Australian commercial beef herds and, unless a high proportion of the herd has twins, the costs involved will not warrant adoption of a high-fecundity strategy.
