Selecting and managing beef heifers
Primefact Number: 626 Edition: First edition Released/reviewed: 01 May 2007
Your heifers contain the latest genetic changes that you, the breeder, has made and should therefore have the best genetics in the herd. Hence, a great deal of emphasis must be placed on heifer management because it can affect overall profitability in a cattle breeding situation. Heifer management involves:
- sound selection
- adequate nutrition
- health management
- correct bull selection
- continuous monitoring, selection and record-keeping.
This Primefact outlines the important management phases that need to be considered during each phase of a heifer’s lifespan. The five phases are:
- Weaning to first mating
- Pre-mating selection (as early as possible)
- First mating to calving
- Calving to second joining
- Lifetime heifer performance.
| Download |
|---|
Downloads require Adobe Acrobat Reader