Proceedings, Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle

Traits used for selecting replacement heifers and feed resources used to develop replacements can have a major influence on long-term profitability of a cattle operation. The direct expense of either purchasing or developing heifers is often obvious for producers, however, the impact the management system used for rearing heifers and selection criteria have on lifetime productivity is much less obvious and more difficult to assess. Without knowledge of the level and duration of productivity, it is not possible to determine the actual return on the investment made for replacement heifers. The objective of this presentation is to review how nutritional influences during heifer development may affect production cost and longevity, and to provide information concerning potential impacts production traits may have on lifetime productivity.