Heifer development program to be offered at extension office

AMES ? The contrast between the beginning of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 is stark in the beef cattle markets. Last year was one of transition as the markets turned the corner from upward-trending prices to the reality of growing cattle inventories and the beginning of cyclically lower prices. Many cow-calf operations that expanded through the purchase of record high-priced replacement heifers in 2014 and 2015 are now scrambling to pay for those females with calf price levels not seen since the fall of 2013.

Traditional wisdom and economic analysis would suggest that most cows in the Midwest need at least four to six years of consecutive production to turn a profit over the sum of cash and fixed costs. However, Iowa State University?s Net Present Value decision tool shows replacements purchased at record high prices in early 2015 may need to produce upward of 10 calves to pay for themselves based on current feeder cattle price projections. Obviously, this investment payback is highly dependent on annual cow costs and future feeder and cull cow prices, but the one thing we can be sure of now is the cost of those replacements.

Now, perhaps more than ever, longevity will be the key to profitability when it comes to replacements that entered the herd over the past two years. However, managing, identifying and breeding for females that will maintain themselves in the herd for six years, let alone a decade, can be a daunting task.

To help producers manage through this time of economic transition, the Iowa Beef Center is partnering with the Iowa Cattlemen?s Association (ICA), ABS Global, Accelerated Genetics, Select Sires and Merial to conduct a series of seven educational workshops across the state titled, ?Heifer Development 3: Breeding and Selecting for Longevity and Profit.?

This is the third installment of the heifer development series, building on our 2011 and 2014 programs on yearling and first-calf heifer best management practices, respectively. The focus of this year?s series is on current genetic and phenotypic selection tools that can be utilized to improve cow longevity and enhance lifetime productivity.

Washington County Extension is one of seven locations in Iowa that will be offering the program. A meal will be served at each site and there is a cost to register. The program will be on Feb. 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Washington County Extension Office.

See session information and registration details on the Iowa Beef Center website. Or contact your regional Extension beef specialist for details on a site near you. We hope to see you at one of these sessions.