Your goal as a cow-calf producer is to wean a heavy calf from every cow each year. To achieve this, you must have a practical management program that will result in high fertility from your cow herd. Following these 20 management steps will help insure a higher net percent calf crop and thereby help you achieve maximum income from your herd. Use an identification system and keep records. Good herd management begins with an animal identification system for record keeping.
Records are important when it's time to select replacements and cull low producing animals.
Provide handling facilities. Adequate handling facilities are necessary for such practices as performance testing, vaccination, identification, sorting, pregnancy testing, and medical or other treatment. Schedule and maintain appropriate times for vaccination, castration, controlling parasites, weighing calves, and pregnancy testing in your herd. Properly use growth promoting implants. Weaning weights of steer calves can be increased as much as 30 pounds if you use growth-promoting implants during the suckling period.