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Cooperative Extension Service |
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Agricultural
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Aquaculture
Dale Bumpers College
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Cow Herd Performance TestingProper selection and culling of individual animals within a cow-calf herd is important for genetic improvement and enterprise profitability. The Cow Herd Performance Testing Program gives beef cattle producers the opportunity to determine and evaluate the current level of herd productivity and properly rank individual animals in the herd for economically relevant traits. The Cow Herd Performance Testing Program emphasizes the importance of record keeping and making selection/culling decisions based on performance measurements. The program involves the collection of records (weaning weights, cow weights, muscle scores, body condition scores, hip heights, etc.) to objectively measure and evaluates cattle performance. Recommendations for selection of replacement heifers are based on 205-day adjusted weaning weight, frame size, muscle score, and other relevant factors. Information from the cow herd performance testing program is used to complement visual appraisal of structural soundness and conformation in selecting replacement females for the herd. Recommendations are developed for culling mature cows based on most probable producing ability, cow efficiency, frame size, structural soundness, pregnancy status, health, and disposition among other factors. Calf performance differences may also be compared among herd sires. Dramatic calf weaning weight improvement is one of the benefits of the program that has been realized by many past and current participants. |
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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