Management
Simplifying the Replacement Heifer Dilemma: To Buy
or To Raise?
By Grady Ruble, Cow/Calf Field Specialist, South Dakota State University extension
Purchasing or raising replacement females
represents a significant investment for cow/
calf operations and the impact may be felt for
years after. To aid in the decision process, we are
building a Microsoft Excel based decision aid that
will allow producers to compare two business
models: developing home-raised replacements
or purchasing pregnant crossbred replacement
females for a terminal sire system. Our decision aid,
which will be available spring 2019, approaches
the situation from a different perspective than
others in recent years. Instead of only maximizing
weaning weight, the focus is maximizing weight
produced by the ranch. The idea behind this
April
2019
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concept is if one chose not to develop heifers
those feed resources could instead be devoted
to more producing cows. That same ranch could
then purchase bred replacement heifers and
ultimately produce more pounds of calf on the
same resources as a ranch that is developing
home raised heifers. Consider the objective of
modern-day corn farming. The objective is not
to maximize kernel yield from each corn plant,
but rather kernel yield from the entire field. The
production metric for corn farmers is bushels per
acre. A cow can be thought of as a corn plant, she
harvests the nutrients from the land and produces
a calf. Corn farmers don’t use bushels per corn
th
10:00 a.m.
Jackson’s Mill
Weston, West Virginia
Auctioneer: Col. John Spiker
184-19 (304) 884-7915
Sale Manager: Lisa George
(304) 516-8534
To view our online
catalog, request a
catalog, or directions please
visit www.wvlba.com
44 | MARCH 2019
Selling 28 Lots Of Outstanding Limousin Cattle
Purebred ~ Lim Flex ~ Percentage ~ Bulls ~ Heifers ~ Bred Females
Our Consignors
Circle L Limousin Lorelai Browning
George Family Limousin Maple Lane Farm
Gene Burga & Sons Miller Farm
Jennifer Friend Ogilbee Limousin