By Katie Nichols
Beef cattle producers in Alabama work diligently to maintain healthy and productive herds. Difficult management decisions are made on a daily basis in order to keep the farm fruitful and functioning.
Alabama Cooperative Extension System Veterinarian Dr. Soren Rodning said pregnancy examinations are an important management tool that may improve the reproductive efficiency of a beef herd and reduce brood cow costs over time. A beef cow should produce a calf every year to be an economically viable member of the herd.
“Determining the pregnancy status of beef cows allows producers to remove reproductively inefficient cows from the herd in a timely manner,” he said. “This results in a combination of increased pounds of calf production per cow and lower costs per pound of calf produced.”
Identification and Removal of Open Cows
IMG_0377The identification and removal of open, or non-pregnant, cows and replacement heifers allows better utilization of valuable feed and pasture resources for productive animals.
Culling of open cows and replacement heifers improves overall herd fertility in subsequent years, as well as pounds weaned per exposed cow, thus increasing income per cow.
Early identification of open cows allows more time for producers to pinpoint fertility problems associated with infectious diseases, poor bull performance, inadequate nutrition and other problems before the following breeding system.
Pregnancy Testing
Pregnancy diagnosis and fetal aging allows producers to group cows according to estimated calving dates to more effectively meet the management and nutritional demands of gestation, calving, lactation and rebreeding.
Despite the benefits associated with annual pregnancy examinations, Rodning said only 10 percent of cow-calf farms in the southeastern U.S. perform pregnancy tests, according to the 2009 USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System Beef Report.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to improve the production efficiency and economic viability of cow-calf herds, especially considering the currently high input costs and high cull-cow prices,” Rodning said.
The NAHMS report also says the majority of respondents who did not perform regular pregnancy checks cited time, cost and lack of facilities as reasons for not annually checking the pregnancy status of beef herds.
Rodning said the pregnancy testing procedure pays for itself by improving the reproductive efficiency of a herd and helps to pay for improved working facilities over time.
There are three common methods of pregnancy examinations: transrectal palpitation, transrectal ultrasonography and blood tests. Each method, if performed properly, is safe for the cow and the fetus. Consult with the herd veterinarian to determine the best option for your herd.