May 15, 2020

Cattle specialists on determining optimum cow size

How to determine the most efficient cow size? The question is really difficult to answer, says Bob Weaber, beef specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

Weaber, who is part of a team of experts from Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) that tried to define what the ideal cow size should be, said the optimum cow size will be slightly different for each operation.

"Our results showed that in eastern Kansas a 1,300- to 1,400-pound cow was optimum in that she was able to produce a moderate to high level of milk in an environment where all her nutritional requirements were met", Weaber said during BCI Cattle Chat podcast, High Plains Journal reported.

"The next phase of the study will be to see what happens if the cow's nutritional support is limited", he added.

KC Olson, a Kansas State University range beef cattle nutrition expert who joined the podcast, said that one good way for a cow-calf producer to gauge economic success is to determine how much beef he can produce per acre.

He added that the average return for an extra 100 pounds of cow weight was just five to seven pounds of additional weight of the calf at weaning, but that the cost of the additional maintenance for the 100 pounds "far exceeds the value the heavier calf brings".

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K-State veterinarian Brad White, meanwhile, said producers need to consider the stocking density of the pastures and the timing of calving, which influences the calf marketing windows.

"The most expensive time to feed a cow is from calving to peak lactation, which happens 4-6 weeks following calving", Olson said.

For White, the bottom line is that producers need to look at their system and determine what is the most economical for them.