February 15, 2018
Priming up cattle for fertility
Finding the right genetics to fast-track the reproductive efficiency of a cattle herd is not enough. Success hinges on nutrition and condition management, according to Chris Mirams, a deliverer of Meat & Livestock Australia's (MLA) new "Bred Well Fed Well Beef" programme.
Mirams said producers must understand the condition score and energy requirements of cattle at different stages in their production cycle to achieve high conception rates, a concentrated calving pattern, an even drop of calves and a high heifer retention rate.
"Herd performance is impacted by genes plus nutrition, so selecting the right genetics is wonderful, but it doesn't end there", he stressed.
"Managing cow and heifer condition score and nutrition is critical, as they drive the onset of oestrus [being in heat]. The earlier the oestrus, the more likely we will achieve our goal of maintaining a 365-day calving interval," he added.
The Bred Well Fed Well Beef programme gives producers practical tools to understand their breeding herd's energy requirements and to better turn pasture into product.
'Fed well' component
The "fed well" component takes producers through steps to refine heifer/cow nutrition to ensure they're getting the most out of their cattle.
Bred Well Fed Well guides producers through growing the right quality and quantity of grass, and matching animals' different physiological needs to available feed supply.
It stresses two important points for breeder nutrition requirements:
-- A dry cow's energy requirements are 11 megajoules/100kg live weight (6% protein in feed source). This increases during pregnancy and lactation.
-- Energy and protein requirement roughly doubles during lactation, which is the peak of nutritional demand.
Mating weight
Mirams said a heifer's critical mating weight is around 60% of her mature body weight for Bos Taurus breeds.
"For example, a heifer should be 360 kilogramme at joining if anticipated to grow into a 600kg cow", he said.
He said failing to proactively manage the growth trajectory of heifers and meeting their nutritional requirements can result in lower conception rates, inadequate pelvic size, dystocia (abnormal, slow or difficult calving), slow return to oestrus post calving, and a spread-out calving.
To attend a Bred Well Fed Well Beef workshop, you may email Serina Hancock at s.hancock@murdoch.edu.au or call her at tel. 0403570823.
The one-day workshop includes hands-on practical activities such as assessing bulls, developing a breeding objective and condition scoring. There is a participation fee of A$75 (US$59.50) with a minimum of 15 people required. Rick Alberto (rickalberto@efeedlink.com)
