Managing With Open Cows

Spending a few dollars on pregnancy testing can help proper management of open cows and maximise cull cow income, worth a fifth of revenue to some farms.

Missing pregnancy can be down to a variety of factors including; climate, nutritional issues and Trichomoniasis that mean it's decision time between buying a new heifer and feeding the old one.

Very seldom is retaining an open cow cost effective, says University of Minnesota, Beef Researcher, Allen Bridges. “In fact, studies have shown the cost of keeping an open cow over winter can exceed $250.”

Although the economics of retaining open cows depends greatly on market trends, on-farm forage sourcing and the price of breeding replacements, Mr Bridges advises farmers that the money spent on open cow diagnosis is worthwhile.

He recommends serology, ultrasonography and rectal palpitation monitoring as measures to allow planned marketing of culled animals so cows can hit the good spring trade.

“For the average beef operation, the marketing of cull animals provides 10-20 per cent of the gross income, so making the best judgment on if or when to send her to market can impact the farms bottom-line,” urges Mr Bridges. “In most years, cull cow prices are also cyclical during the year, peaking in spring and dipping in the fall and winter. This makes sense as most open cows hit the market in the fall after weaning, driving prices down.”

In terms of keeping open cows until the market improves or selling immediately, Mr Bridges admits this is a complex area and one which can require the office calculator. He says that break even costs of maintaining a cow over winter take in lost revenue, additional keep costs and the final weight when sold.

“For example, if you can sell an open cow in November for $900 (Lost Revenue; 1250 lb $72/cwt) and it costs you $200 (Total Additional Costs) to feed her from November to March and she gains 200 lb (1450 lb Final Weight) the minimum price per hundred weight (cwt) you must receive in March to break even would be $76/cwt.”

However, to accurately gauge this, a rough knowledge of spring cull prices needs to be known.

The general 'take home' message from Mr Bridges is to make an informed decision based on whole herd assessment, taking into account markets and future trends of both feed and cattle.