May 2008

Comments from Jim:
This has been one of the longest winters on record here in North Central Idaho. The extended cold, snowy weather caused some delays in spring planting of wheat, barley and oat crops. It also caused some major delays in early season grass growth. Hopefully the early summer will be normal and we can have a really good grass and hay year.
This edition of Over The Wire deals with cow efficiency. Much is said and written about reducing feed costs but the efficiency of the cow herd is just as important.
Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions on this topic or any other cattle related issue.
Sincerely,
Jim Church
University of Idaho
Extension Educator, Livestock

Cow Efficiency

Let’s face it, the next few years could be tough for cow-calf producers. According to economic experts calf prices will weaken compared to the prices we have seen over the last five years. This is being caused by extremely high feed costs, increases in fuel costs and a leveling off or reduction in beef consumption due to a slow down in the economy. With these scenarios facing the industry, cow-calf operators will need to use all their management skills to remain profitable and stay in the business.

With a reduction in income, a corresponding reduction in expenses is needed to maintain previous profit levels. Therefore all expense items need to be analyzed. The place to begin is winter feed costs. In most operations the cost of feeding cows through the winter makes up 60 percent of the total cost of owning that cow for a year. In past newsletters, I have talked about utilizing lower quality forages and in the last issue of Over The Wire, Dr. Jason Ahola provided some ration examples using such feed stuffs as straw. Extending the fall grazing season using crop aftermath grazing has also been discussed and recommended in previous newsletters and at a number of cattle producer schools over the years. But I don’t think we have discussed cow efficiency enough and how it can impact the amount and quality of winter feed needed to winter cows.

About fifteen years ago, Doc Hatfield spoke at the Idaho County Cattle Association Annual Meeting. Doc Hatfield is from Brothers, Oregon and he and his wife Connie are the people that started the very successful Oregon Country Beef program to market their beef. Doc started his talk by indicating that he and Connie had really enjoyed their drive over to Grangeville and especially liked driving in the Salmon River Canyon. He said that he noticed cows along the way that appeared to be way too big for the environment they were living in. He said they looked thin and were in need of more feed. He went on to share with us his philosophy of matching the cow size and breeds to the environment. In other words, optimize cow efficiency.

The cattle industry has done a tremendous job of increasing cow size since the 1970’s. We have gotten them big and growthy. In fact, today we have fewer total beef cows in this country than at any time in the last 50 years or more, yet we have record pounds of beef produced. How is this possible? Less calves produced from a smaller cow herd but more pounds of beef! The calves are bigger and heavier, that’s why.

The question we need to ask is how efficient has it been to produce these bigger, heavier calves? Are we really making more money, or are we simply just turning over more dollars to satisfy the appetite of inefficient cows that produce these big calves?

Determining the efficiency of the cow herd starts with knowing how much the cows weigh. This does not require weighing each cow individually. To get an average weight, look back at cull cow sale receipts and look at the weights. If you can go back and look at sale receipts from the last two or three years, it will give you a really good idea what the average weight is of the cows in your herd.

What does knowing the weight of the cows have to do with efficiency?

Cow weights alone mean nothing, but coupled with the average weaning weights of calves produced, now we have something to work with. Calf weights can be determined by looking at sale receipts, if the calves are sold at weaning time.

For years the general rule of thumb for measuring efficiency was to look and see if the cow is weaning off at least 50 percent of her body weight in calf. In other words, if she weighs 1200 pounds, she should wean off a calf that weighs 600 pounds. However, more recent research has shown that a 1600 pound cow wouldn’t have to wean off 50 percent of her body weight to be as efficient as a 1000 pound cow that weans off a calf weighing 500. Below is a chart that shows the calf size required for differing body weights to be considered equally efficient. This chart was published by R.A. Long for the American Angus Association back in 1998.

Let’s look at an example:

Average weight of cull cows sold off the ranch over the last five years = 1377 pounds
Average weight of calves at weaning time = 605 pounds.

Percentage calf weight weaned compared to mature cow weight = 605/1377 = 43.9 percent.

In this example, the cows are close but are not meeting the 45.9 percent target for a cow weighing approx. 1400, therefore they are not as efficient as we would like.

How About Feed Requirements?

What difference does it make if the cows weigh 1377 or 1200 on average? It makes a great deal of difference when you look at the dry matter, protein and energy requirements of the two cows.

This doesn’t look like a big difference, but if you multiply this out over the length of the winter feeding period, it is huge.

Let’s say we have a 150 day feeding period, the difference in dry matter intake for the 1200 pound cow versus the 1377 is 390 pounds. The 1200 pound cow would need 390 pounds less feed for the feeding period. At $150 per ton, that is a savings of $30. Multiply this by the number of cows in the herd, and it starts to add up. If you are going to have to spend $30 more to feed the bigger cow, she had better return at least this much in additional income from heavier calves in order to break even.

Of course we can make our cows weigh 1200 pounds by starving them, but the point to be made is look at the frame size of the cows. Frame score 6 and 7 cows will weigh over 1300 pounds at a body condition score of 5. Frame score 4 and 5 cows, at the same body condition score will weigh less and require less feed.

Selecting for Efficiency

Now is the time to start selecting for efficiency if you haven’t already started. The selection criteria should include:

1. Select replacement heifers from high performing moderate framed cows. Frame score can be determined if you know the age and hip height of the females. Below is a frame score chart that will help in determining frame size:

2. Select bulls that have superior genetics for efficiency in their daughters. This can be determined by using the Dollar Value Indexes such as the $EN Index that the Angus Breed uses.

For example if bull A has a $EN value of $15 and bull B has a $EN value of $2, on average the daughters out of bull A will have an energy savings per year of $13 over daughters out of bull B. You would want to use Bull A if at all possible, especially if you are going to keep heifers out of him.

3. A strict culling protocol to remove poor performing cows should be followed.
a. Cull those big, hay consuming cows that wean off only 40 percent of their body weight.
b. Cull hard keeping cows. You know, those cows that are always thin even though they are
eating you out of house and home. Make sure they are not thin due to superior milking ability.

Summary

In summary I would like to really encourage you to look at the efficiency of your cowherd. Start by determining mature cow weights and frame score. Next determine the average weight of the calves at weaning. Figure the percent of body weight your cows are weaning off in calf weight.

Then look at the nutritional requirements of wintering your cows in relation to their body size. Is it costing you a fortune to keep your cows at a body condition score of 5, or would it be advantageous to look at reducing cow size?

Finally, seriously consider making changes if needed.

Calving date is another hot topic in regards to input costs. The next issue of this newsletter will look at the advantages and disadvantages of fall, spring and summer calving on costs and returns to the operation. Until then, good luck with the haying and grazing season.