Why You Shouldn’t Try To Get 'One More Calf' Out Of Past-Prime Cows
Learn to rebuild and retain a better cow herd May 5-6 in Columbia.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
Beef cow slaughter declined 19% in 2024 and another 17% in 2025 as producers held on to cows past their prime to get “just one more calf” from them, says University of Missouri Extension ag business specialist Wesley Tucker.
“Meanwhile, high calf prices continue to lure producers into sending good heifers to the feedlot rather than retention,” says Tucker. “Keeping older genetics in less productive cows while sacrificing young heifers will eventually bite us in the backside and lower the productivity of Missouri’s cow herd.”
Tucker and other MU Extension specialists will discuss how this is changing beef herds during a May 5-6 conference on genetics, nutrition and reproductive management at the MU Beef Research and Teaching Farm in Columbia.
Tucker says the “Retain With Intention: Building a Better Missouri Cow Herd”workshop shows how producers can create a sustainable replacement model with multiple evaluation and marketing points along the journey.
“Profitable value of gain creates multiple marketing opportunities throughout the heifer development system,” he says. “Heifers sent down an off-ramp along the path can still be profitable while creating flexibility in your system and helping you identify the replacements who will take your herd to the next level for years to come.”
Tucker will be joined by MU Extension specialists beef genetics specialist Jamie Courter, beef reproductive physiologist Jordan Thomas and beef nutritionist Eric Bailey.
The program will focus on helping producers make informed decisions about replacement heifers by using genetics, nutrition and reproductive management.
“The goal is to equip producers with practical tools to identify, develop and manage females that will remain productive in the herd long term,” said Courter. “Rebuilding the cow herd is more than keeping back a few extra heifers,” she said. “It’s about making intentional decisions that shape your operation for years to come.”
By the end of the program, Courter said, participants will be able to:
- Evaluate replacement heifers using performance records, genomic information and visual appraisal to make better-informed retention decisions.
- Develop a nutrition plan that supports proper growth, puberty attainment and first-breeding success in replacement females.
- Design a reproductive management strategy that improves first-service conception rates and long-term fertility.
- Calculate the long-term economic impact of heifer retention versus sale at weaning.
- Implement a structured replacement selection framework tailored to their operation’s environment, forage resources and marketing goals.
The beef research farm is located at 5169 Old Millers Road, Columbia.
Register by April 28. ∆
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION