NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Weaning weights alone can be misleading when comparing cow performance, especially in herds with wide variation in mature cow size. That’s a key point highlighted by Kenny Burdine, livestock economist with the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, as producers review records and make culling decisions.
Larger cows often wean heavier calves, but they also cost more to maintain. Bigger cows consume more forage, hay, supplements, and minerals — and they often carry higher indirect costs tied to health, handling, transportation, and yardage. When culling decisions are based strictly on calf weaning weight, smaller-framed cows are more likely to be removed, gradually increasing average cow size and pushing herd costs higher over time.
Burdine’s analysis suggests producers should view productivity relative to cow size, not just raw calf pounds. In a budgeting exercise, he found that for every additional 100 pounds of mature cow weight, a cow needed to wean roughly 50 more pounds of calf just to stay economically competitive. That relationship shifts with cattle prices, but the principle remains consistent.
Tracking individual cow-calf performance helps identify which cows are truly earning their place.
Producers may need to prepare for margin pressure in livestock feeding, while dairy farmers could benefit from stronger product demand.
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