This project was funded by USDA grant 2014-09684. Heifer CONSULT was produced by Dr. Bob Cushman (USDA MARC), Dr. Rick Funston (University of Nebraska), Dr. Dale Grotelueschen (University of Nebraska-GPVEC), Dr. Sandy Johnson (Kansas State University), Dr. Scott Lake (University of Wyoming), Dr. Bob Larson(Kansas State University), Dr. Sherri Merrill (Allen, Kansas), Dr. Dave Smith (Mississippi State University), and Dr. Brad White (Kansas State University).
Heifer CONSULT is designed to help beef cow-calf producers improve the reproductive success of their heifers and young cows. If you are not satisfied with the current reproductive success of replacement heifers and/or first-calf heifers, this CONSULT will help identify problem areas and provide possible solutions. Please work closely with your veterinarian as you utilize Heifer CONSULT to improve your heifer development program.
Each producer should determine an optimum percent pregnant to meet their herd goals. Acceptable reproductive performance will depend on geographic constraints such as forage quality and quantity, length of the grazing season, length of the breeding seasons for both heifers and mature cows, and optimized whole-herd management. Due to biological constraints a 95% pregnancy rate in first-calf heifers and mature cows is the highest percentage that you should expect to achieve on a consistent basis. For replacement heifers, 90% pregnant during a 65 day breeding season is a reasonable target. These targets may be too high for some operations but trying to reach even higher pregnancy percentages is unlikely to be successful in any operation. Click on the button above to start the Heifer CONSULT program.