Focus attention to herd management this summer
It is a great time for cattlemen and women to take a close look at their herd and cull any cows that are not pulling their weight.
Pregnancy checking is one way to determine which cows or heifers need to be sold. Cows that wean a calf less than 50% of their body weight can usually be considered less productive and need to be culled. Females with feet, leg, udder or attitude issues should be sold and bulls with feet or libido issues should be sold as well.
Slaughter cows and bulls are high for the year and thus a great time to cut down on any that are eating and not providing.
Many producers choose to cull cows when they sell their calves, and with that predominately being in the fall the large influx of cows usually causes prices to drop. Calf prices are high currently and so it is a good time to sell bigger calves when going through your cows.
This culling and going ahead and selling calves will help with your forage if there were to be a drought. These high calf prices appear to be a thing for a while in the future, so only cull those cows you are comfortable selling and keep those that are bred or doing a good job as in many cases a 500-pound calf is worth more than a decent cow so that calf inside the cow could easily pay for her stay and some bills at the same time.
If you have any questions regarding herd management, please contact the extension office at 770-7492142 or email uge2233@uga.edu.
For more information and details on upcoming events, check out the Polk County Extension office on Facebook by searching “UGA Extension Polk County.”