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MB, Canada | I think the key to retaining your own heifers is to make sure that a failure to reach your goal is still an overall success. Just like going for that low percentage golf shot, make sure a miss is still on the fairway.
For example, if you're going to pick your favourites to expose to a bull, make sure they're in good enough condition and percentage of mature size to give them the best shot at coming up bred. And don't forget a backup bull--you'll only make that mistake once.
If you're going to go the natural selection route and expose them all for a short window, make sure that they're gaining well enough that if they all come up open then you've at least run a successful grasser operation for the summer.
Chasing epigentics is fun and all, but if you're ending up with high open rates in the name of 'long-term profitability' while failing to grow your operation during a great cattle cycle then you're missing the forest for the trees. The Gabe Brown style of developing heifers isn't wrong, it's just best done at the bottom of the cattle cycle when a 50% open rate isn't as consequential. | |
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Retaining Heifers
