An article that was in the last Montana Angus News:

Quote:

Beth M Blevins,DVM was born and raised in Cut Bank, Montana. She attended Carrol College in Helena MT, where she found that snow actually piles up on fence posts and power lines. After graduating from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, she completed a large animal internship at Washington State University in Pullman Washington. She has practiced in the Ronan, Montana area since 1987. One chore for fall involves selection of replacement heifers and development of those heifers. The tendency to choose the large well doing heifers results from eye appeal. The biggest heifers just attract the most attention. Consistently choosing the largest heifers tends to increase frame score on the herd. A hip height of 47 to 50" for a 10 month old heifer would be a frame score of 5 or 6 which is a moderate frame score. At 20 months that same heifer should have a hip height of 50 to 52" as measured when the heifer is standing square, sighted at the hook bones. Having an idea of the desired frame score on the cow herd or even knowing the average height in the cow herd now and whether an increase, decrease or maintenance of that frame is desired helps determine a target weight for replacement heifers. Having a target weight for the heifers gives a producer a tangible goal. Angus heifers, as well as other breeds that are not Brahma or Brahma-cross, reach puberty at 60-65% of their mature weight. Using the frame score to predict mature weight then allows computation of a target weight for puberty. For example a frame score of 5 in a 10-month old heifer should have a hip height of about 48" and a mature weight of 1173#. Sixty percent of 1173# is 704# as the target weight for puberty. Hitting the target weight at the start of the breeding season gives that heifer the best chance of breeding. Ideally heifers should have an average daily gain from weaning to the start of 1 to 1.5# per day. Adequate, but not excessive, gains ensure proper udder development and milking ability. Protein and energy requirements met in a balanced ration to achieve a body conditon score of 6 is ideal. Heifers gaining on average from weaning to breeding, more than 2# per day had decreased fertility as did thin heifers. In addition, the fatter heifers have a decrease in lifetime weaning weights because of decreased milk production. If heifers are thin for part of the period from weaning to breeding, then fed more to hit the target weight, the fertility and milking ability are preserved. Looking at the entire weaning to breeding period for the average of 1 to 1.5# daily gain and reaching the target weight with a body condition of 6 is vital. PELVIC AREA AND FRAME SCORE Measuring pelvic area as a selection criteria for heifers facilitates the process if properly interpreted. Simply choosing the heifers with the largest pelvic area will result in selecting for larger frame score. Unfortunately the larger frame score heifer has a larger frame score calf and calving problems still encountered. Pelvic measurements taken with a caliper inserted rectally, finds the narrowest height and width in centimeters. The product of those measurements yields the pelvic area in centimeters. Instead of choosing bigger is better, the best use of pelvic area measurement is to set a minimum of 150 sq centimeters at one year of age. Any heifer measuring less is culled, but no preference is given to heifers measuring larger. REPRODUCTIVE TRACT SCORE If pelvic area is being measured a reproductive tract score can be determinded at the same time. If the uterine horn is less than 20 mm diameter and the ovaries are the size of peanuts at 6 to 8 weeks prior to the start of breeding season, the heifer is either too young, too thin or was implanted as a calf. Prospective replacement heifers should never be implanted with growth promotants as implantation is associated with fewer heifers cycling and conceiving, especially younger heifers and heifers implanted more than once. A reproductive tract score of 1 would be assigned to that heifer. A 5 reproductive tract score has a uterine horn diameter greater than 30mm with good tone and ovaries the size of a large lima bean with follicles and a CL (corpus luteum formed from the follicle after a heat cycle). A score of 4 would have uterine diameter of 30mm and and lima bean sized ovaries with follicles. Heifers should have a 4 or 5 reproductive tract score 6-8 weeks prior to breeding season. Choose well when selecting replacement heifers. Pay attention to thier development with feed and vaccinations. The heifers are the future of the cowherd.

blah blah blah

You were right Tom.

I was one of the first to pelvic measure...I kept those less than 150; they calved unassisted; I quit measuring...another hoop jumping excersize for bigger government...

Otis you can do all that and i am going to grab a beer and relax, and grab another beer and relax some more.

No problem here that is the same stuff the extension office have been using for their updates for years, the same Blah,Blah,Blah every 6 months.

Old timer i see you feel like ya get picked on a bit, oh well toughen up. read the last three post form LL. And if you fail to see the wisdom in that then keep reading then read DV post and look at his art, after a little while it starts to sink in. As far as dveloping heifers all of that is just redunit crap. About 10 yrs ago a young man on one of these sites by the name of Angus 2 made a post regarding calving heifers. "IF YOU NEVER PULL A CALF YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO" That is one of the most profound statements I have ever read, and some years later it has worked amazingly well. Most of the posters on that thread just never got it and they never will. There is more information shared on Keeney's corner in a week than on both of the other sites in a year ya just have to be able to listen and open your mind. W.T

How'd NO#12 work Old timer, on second thought keep it to yourself