Assessing Your Production Goals for Your Beef Herd

This time of year, many are considering resolutions for the New Year. As a beef producer, have you assessed your overall management and production practices for your operation? What are your strengths? What about weaknesses? What are some future opportunities? Do you have any threats or challenges? Washington State University Extension Regional Livestock Specialist Dr. Don Llewellyn shares the elements to consider when assessing overall beef production.

Llewellyn: "The returning theme that I hear a lot about is that our producers really need to feed economically. In doing so you need to look at several different things. Our goals really need to be to have our cows calve in adequate body condition — that is a body condition score of 4 to 6 on a 9 point scale. Obviously we want to them to deliver a healthy calf. We have to got to have the cows in good shape so they can give their calves a good start in early lactation before the good green grass starts up. That is especially important with folks that are calving earlier in the spring rather than later in the spring. Obviously we've got to have those cows in good shape so they will breed back in a timely manner so we can start this process all over and be ready for next year. All total we really need to maximize the number of calves weaned per cows exposed during that breeding season to maximize our profitability."

So as you review your number of calves weaned per cows exposed during the breeding season, what is your percentage? What can you change in your production practices to improve that number?