In spite of market volatility over the past three weeks, the strong market fundamentals and current status of the U.S. beef industry remain unchanged, and can be distilled down into a few short bullet points:
• The lowest beef cow inventory since the early 1960s.
• The lowest number of feeder calves in the production chain since the 1950s.
• Strongest consumer demand for beef in several decades.
• There is very little evidence (over past several calf crops) of heifer calves being retained to develop as the next generation of cows.
These factors indicate the robust values of all classes of cattle (and beef) we are seeing now should continue for several years. Why? Because of the biological time lag between heifers selected now to develop as replacements, and the 24 months before they would potentially wean their first calf to enter the production system. Furthermore, it is most likely that the beef cow inventory of 2026 will be lower than 2025.
This current status is the result of droughts, the threat of New World screwworm, the resilience of cattle producers, high input cost and the great success story of cattle breeders improving the additive genetic merit of U.S. cattle to consistently yield a high quality, great tasting beef product to meet consumer demand.
The existing cow inventory will age out of production; thereby, replacement heifers are needed! Analysis of your production system, proper breeding objectives, mating decisions and development ensure the replacement heifers you are bringing into production are the right fit for your environment and set your operation up for success over the long-term.
Heifer development
In order to maximize profit potential, it is important to have heifers calving at 2 years of age. Research shows heifers becoming pregnant early in their first breeding season, (specifically the first 21 days) remain in the herd longer and produce more total calf weaning weight over their lifetime in production.
How do we select and manage replacement heifers so that they are having fertile heats and ready to conceive by 14-15 months of age? Genetics, photoperiod, level of nutrition and growth rate all influence when beef heifers reach puberty; that being said, heifers that have reached 65% of their mature weight by this age should have reached puberty and be ready to breed.
Obviously, age should be taken into account, along with other selection criteria covered last week, when selecting replacements, with older heifers having an advantage. Heifer calves born earlier in the calving season are produced by cows that conceived earlier in the breeding season.
After heifers are selected, how do we arrive at the target weight they need to gain from weaning until their first breeding season? First, we need an accurate estimate of the average mature weight of the cow herd that produced the heifers. This can be calculated from weights taken at weaning time on the 4-to-7-year-old cows and adjusting to a body condition score (BCS) of 5. If developing purchased heifers, target an optimum plane of growth having the heifers in a BCS of 6 by 14-15 months of age.
What is the best way to feed to reach that target weight? In a normal Oklahoma year, spring-born heifers weaned in fall can be grown on wheat pasture typically available by late November and gain 1.5 lb. per day (or better) to reach target weight. With wheat pasture conditions currently sporadic in Oklahoma, it is comforting to know that heifers can grow very slowly through the winter months and fed harder for the couple of months going into breeding season in order to reach target weight by breeding season.
For gestating bred heifers due to calve next spring, target a body condition of 6 and 80% of their mature weight at first calving. — Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle breeding specialist
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