How Old Should Beef Heifer Be to Breed

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Knowing when a heifer or cow is set up to be bred is important to a convenance operation. There are specific guidelines ane must follow to ensure that a heifer or cow is prepare to be bred.

PLEASE remember these 2 important terms when reading about heifers and cows beneath:

Heifers are female bovines that have non had a calf. A heifer will no longer be a heifer after she has had her 2d calf where she becomes a Cow: a female MATURE bovine that has had two calves. Heifers remain heifers from the twenty-four hour period they are born until they have had their second calf.

1. 1

   Depending on the breed of the heifer, virtually heifers will outset to show the first signs of heat when they are between 9 and 22 months of age.

   • The rate of sexual maturity or puberty is determinate of genes and breeding. The rate of maturity, being carcass maturity, is not directly related nor determinate of when a heifer is set to breed. Carcass maturity is when bone and muscle growth plateau's off and fat begins to be laid down.

2. 2

   Normally it's best to look until they are at least 15 months of age before breeding. Fifty-fifty though the early maturing breeds do reach puberty past the fourth dimension they are around 7 to 9 months of historic period, it is best to expect until they are effectually 13 to xv months of age before you can breed them.^[1] This is because it allows them to grow more, increase their pelvic area and gain enough condition that can permit them to sustain themselves throughout gestation. Heifers that are bred too early tend to have besides small-scale a pelvic area to calve out, so some "whoopsie" heifers need to take a C-section done on them, or have the dogie pulled. This can be quite costly, as the new calf will often accept to exist bottle-fed to get enough milk for him.

   • Occasionally, though, some heifers that are bred likewise early are able to pass and enhance a calf without man interference, either at calving or during the period the calf is being raised.

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3. three

   The heifer must also be at to the lowest degree sixty% to 65% of the average mature weight of the cowherd before she tin can exist bred. This is and so that she is big plenty to hold and grow a calf in her while she also continues to abound.^[two]

4. iv

   In order to successfully breed a heifer, at that place are two ways to go about it:

   1. Choose a bull with proficient (as in low) calving-ease numbers to breed her (and other heifers like her), or ...
   2. Time her estrus periods so that you tin Artificially Inseminate (AI) her (or get an AI tech to do it for y'all).

   • A heifer tin simply exist successfully bred during her rut periods. Information technology'south disquisitional in timing everything right to brand AI successful for her. She must be AI'd 12 hours after you run across her outset signs of estrus. And remember that AI only has a 60% to 70% success charge per unit.
   • With use of natural insemination, the bull will know when she will stand to breed and when she isn't receptive. Information technology is best to leave the bull in with the heifers for lx to eighty days to make sure he services all of them. Use a yearling bull (one that is around 12 months of historic period) on them to reduce injury. (Notation, though, that using a yearling balderdash may or may non decrease the size of the calves born. Most, if non all veteran producers tin can tell if a immature bull will sire pocket-sized calves simply by looking at his conformation and his EPD numbers based off the genetics and EPDs of his sire and dam.)

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1. 1

   A cow should be bred dorsum afterward she has had a calf. The optimum time to breed her is 45 to lx days after she has had a calf. In guild to become her to calve on the aforementioned date as the previous years, let for 80 to 90 days of balance before getting her bred again.^[three] Typically it will take longer for her to come back into normal heat if she's in poor condition or has reduced fertility due to age, inadequate diet, or environs.

   • The poorer her condition, or, the thinner or fatter she is, the later she will be able to breed back. See How to Gauge Body Condition Scores in Cattle for more than. Age and poor or undesirable conformation will also determine how soon a cow volition breed back in fourth dimension.
   • The reason in that location is a waiting time between when the cow has given birth to when it is best to become her bred over again is because it takes time for the uterus to anfractuous or shrink back to its normal size. It also takes time for the cow's ovaries and hormonal system to get dorsum to normal. Though a cow volition bear witness signs of heat 14 to 18 days afterward giving nascence, her oestrus periods are quite unpredictable and curt. This is because it takes some fourth dimension for the corpus luteum to grow back to its normal state and begin to unremarkably produce new ova once more.

2. 2

   As mentioned above on Step #5 for heifers, a cow can either be bred by AI or by natural service.

   • AI follows the same principles and rules mentioned for convenance heifers in guild to accept a college success charge per unit in getting her settled.
   • You lot usually do not need a calving-ease bull with cows, certainly not similar you lot practise with heifers. Still, delight be cautious in what bull you select for your cows. If y'all are using a Continental bull on British-type cows, for case a Charolais bull on Angus cows, that bull does demand to take good or low calving ease EPDs in lodge to reduce risk of dystocia or calving problems in your cows. Charolais are typically notorious for causing calving problems in British-type cows, or rather throwing calves that are often larger than what a British bull on British cows usually throws. If you lot do not pay attention to the numbers (the EPDs or Expected Progeny Differences)of that herd sire, you will state yourself in a lot of trouble, and be very decorated adjacent calving flavour pulling calves.
     • On the other mitt, if you are using a British balderdash on British cows (and it doesn't necessarily accept to be the same breed), you can still get a flake devil-may-care with calving ease and still stop upward with problems. Even so, lookout man out for those bulls that have extremely loftier calving ease EPDs, regardless of what brood they are or yous choose.^[4]
       • Also retrieve to select the bull that complements and improves your herd, not the other way around.

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Add New Question

• Question

  If I take heifers and cows running together, should I dissever the heifers to run with bulls first?

  

  It would be a skillful idea to exercise and then. That manner you volition exist able to spend quality time watching the heifers calve out; once y'all have well-nigh of the heifers calved out, the cows will start calving. Arrange it so that your heifers are bred one to two weeks alee of your cows so that the heifers are calving out a week or two before the cows.

• Question

  Why would my heifer still breed monthly?

  

  If your heifer continues to come up into rut (stands to be mounted past the bull), then she is not actually becoming pregnant. There are rare instances of heifers continuing to stand fifty-fifty though they are pregnant, but information technology is uncommon. Information technology would be all-time to call your vet to decide if the bull is infertile, or the cow has something going on causing her to not take hold of a calf.

• Question

  How long is a moo-cow pregnant?

  

  Their average gestation rate is 285 days.

• Question

  How old does a balderdash have to be to produce a calf?

  

  Bulls tin can be fertile every bit immature as two months old, and while they usually don't accept the height to practise the chore, they may have the will to practise it. Considering of this, information technology is best to split up little bulls and heifers at or before 2 months one-time, that way there is no unintended breeding.

• Question

  What should a heifer weigh earlier being bred?

  

  75 percent of her anticipated adult weight. This increases the likelihood that she volition be large enough at calving to birth the calf successfully.

• Question

  How frequently does a cow come into oestrus?

  

  Approximately every 21 days, give or take, based on the moo-cow'southward individual cycle.

• Question

  How long after the bull mounting does fertilization take identify?

  

  Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours.

• Question

  Can I use the same balderdash I used to impregnate his daughters?

  

  Ideally, you lot shouldn't. If you don't know the genetic history of either the sire or the dams of the daughters, there'due south increased risk of birthing calves that have genetic abnormalities. Inbreeding should only be done if you know enough nigh the genetic history of your cattle to be able to exercise and so.

• Question

  Can a heifer always exist to old to breed?

  

  In one case the heifer turns nearly seven years one-time, the time between calves increases and the gamble of an unhealthy calf increases. That said, if the heifer is in good condition and not worked hard, she can continue calving into her teens.

• Question

  Afterward the balderdash mounted the heifer, at that place was semen and some blood draining from her for 2-3 days after. Is there a problem with the heifer?

  

  A footling blood is aught to worry about. That'south completely normal, and only a sign that the corpus luteum has ruptured allowing the ovum to period free into the fallopian tube. It may also not exist semen flowing out but vaginal mucous as well, which is too normal. But if at that place'southward lots of claret and she'southward actually Haemorrhage from the vagina, then at that place most definitely would be a problem that requires veterinary attention. But if it'southward a modest amount, like only a couple of milliliters, there'south zero to worry almost.

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• The better status score a moo-cow is after calving, the sooner she'll exist gear up to breed.

• Heifers should be bred when they have had at to the lowest degree 3 heat periods later the initial start of puberty, no thing what the breed.

• Check the hindquarter conformation of the heifer first earlier you decide to go her bred. A deep, long, and broad rump is a very good sign that that heifer is a keeper.

• Y'all will always know when a heifer or cow is fix to exist bred when they go into estrus.

  • Normal oestrus periods final 24 hours and occur between 17 to 24 days.

• Heifers should be in as good a condition score as cows are 30 days prior to convenance. Females should be at a Cdn BCS between ii.5 and 3.5 (USA BCS of iii to five) before breeding season.

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• Be wary effectually bulls during breeding season. They tin get quite protective of their harem if they don't know that you are not really competition for them.

• A solitary cow or heifer that you have on your subcontract that does not have access to other herd-mates is a danger for you, particularly when she goes into heat. You could be in for a surprise when she tries to mountain you lot in her "vigorous" state.

• AI only has a 60 to 70% success rate if y'all cull to utilize information technology on your cows or heifers. Withal, the better the AI tech, the higher success rate you'll take.

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About This Article

Commodity Summary X

You'll know a heifer is ready to be bred when she'southward started to bear witness signs of heat. This usually occurs betwixt 9 and 22 months of age, but fifty-fifty if she's in heat earlier, yous should merely try to breed her after fifteen months. This volition ensure she's big enough and her hips are wide plenty to survive the nativity procedure. You'll also want her to be at least 60 percent of the average mature weight of the cowherd to ensure that she's large enough to abound a calf. After a cow has had a calf, await 45 to 60 days to breed her over again, or when she starts to prove signs of heat. If you want her to calve at the same time of year as before, await 80 to 90 days before breeding her. For more tips from our Agricultural co-author, including how to choose a bull for your moo-cow to breed with, read on!

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