Selecting Heifers for Replacement

The heifers you keep today become the cow herd for the next ten years or more. Choosing them carefully, with records in hand, is one of the cheapest ways to improve a ranch.

Key points

Keep more heifers than you need, then select down in stages.
The dam's record is one of the best predictors of a heifer's future.
Early-born, well-grown heifers breed earlier, but avoid extremes in size.
Check structure, temperament and the sire's maternal data.
Work with your vet on health and pre-breeding exams.

Decide how many to keep and when to choose

Start with your herd's replacement need. That depends on how many cows you cull or lose each year, and how many heifers you want to breed. Keep more heifers than you need at weaning, then select down as you collect more information, because some will not grow well, breed or stay sound.

Many ranchers pick a first group at weaning, a second cut before breeding and a final check after pregnancy diagnosis. Each step is a chance to remove animals that do not fit.

Write the numbers down each year: how many heifers you kept, how many bred, how many calved and how many stayed in the herd past their second calf. Those figures show whether you are keeping too few or too many.

Start with the dam

A heifer inherits half her genetics from her mother, and the dam's record tells you a lot. Look for cows that calve every year, calve early in the season, wean a good calf and stay sound. Udder quality, feet and temperament carry over to daughters.

Be careful with heifers from cows that needed help calving, raised a light calf or are known problems, even if the heifer herself looks nice in the pen.

Calved every year without assistance
Calved early in the calving season
Weaned a calf in good proportion to her own size
Sound udder, feet and legs
Easy temperament

Birth date and growth

Heifers born early in the calving season are older and heavier at breeding time, and they tend to conceive earlier. Within a calf crop, early-born females with good growth are usually the better replacement candidates. Use adjusted weaning weights, such as the 205-day adjusted weight, to compare calves born on different days.

Do not simply select the heaviest heifers. Extremely fast-growing heifers can turn into large mature cows that cost more to feed. Look for good growth that fits your forage and cow size goals.

Keep in mind that a heifer born late in the season may still be a fine cow. She simply needs closer attention to growth and a chance to catch up before breeding, so look at her whole record before ruling her out.

Structure, udder potential and temperament

Walk the heifers slowly and look at them from the side and from behind. You want sound feet and legs, a good topline, adequate depth of body and a feminine, well-balanced look. A heifer that is short in the rib or very straight in the hock may not last.

Temperament matters for safety and productivity. A heifer that is flighty or aggressive will get worse after calving. Cull early rather than trying to fix temperament later.

Use your sire's information

Look at the sire of each heifer. EPDs for maternal traits, fertility and calving ease give you additional information. If you are keeping daughters from a bull for the first time, you may want only a few from him until you see how his daughters perform.

Remember that EPDs are compared within a breed only. If your heifers are crossbred, consider both parents' breeds and what role they play in your system.

If you buy bulls from a seedstock herd, ask how many of their own daughters stay in that herd. Producers who keep their own heifers from a sire are usually confident in what his daughters do.

Health, vaccination and reproductive checks

Work with your veterinarian on a health program for developing heifers before breeding. Your vet can recommend vaccination timing, parasite control and a pre-breeding exam that fits your herd. Any treatment or vaccine must follow the label and the vet's directions, including any withdrawal period.

A reproductive tract evaluation before breeding helps identify heifers that are unlikely to conceive. Ask your vet whether it makes sense for your herd.

Mark every selected heifer with clear identification so her dam, sire and birth date follow her through development and breeding. Records that live only in your memory are gone when you most need them.

Common mistakes and what to ask

Keeping heifers because they are gentle pets, selecting only on size, or skipping the final pregnancy check are common mistakes. Another is keeping every heifer and hoping.

Before you finalize the list, ask your vet which exams to run, ask your extension office what weights and ages fit your region, and ask yourself whether each heifer comes from a cow you would be glad to own more of.

Is her dam a cow I want more of?
Was she born early in the season?
Does she have sound feet, legs and udder potential?
Will her mature size fit my forage?

When to get help: Ask your veterinarian about vaccination timing and pre-breeding reproductive exams for developing heifers. Your extension beef specialist can help you set target ages and weights for your breed and region.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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