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Setting Herd Goals
A good breeding plan is very useful when establishing both short and long-term
herd goals. Many times, we fail to spend adequate time defining our selection priorities. Most successful cattle
managers have a written plan and a list of both short and long term goals for their cow herds. Their goals are well
defined, achievable, and revised on an annual basis.
Where do you start?
The answer to this question is not straightforward because of the diversity within the
cattle industry. Therefore, a producer should assess their current position in the industry and ask themselves
several questions:
What type of cattle do I produce?
What industry segment(s) do I belong to (cow-calf, stocker, feeder, seedstock)?
What impact do my cattle have on different industry segment(s)?
The next logical step is to determine the current status of the herd for performance
and profitability. It is difficult to make improvements in a herd’s performance and profitability when the present
status is unknown. It is necessary to evaluate current performance records, herd averages, costs of production, and
sources of revenue. Having an established starting position makes it easier to develop goals for genetic
improvement.
Many cattle producers are able to determine their herd’s performance level because they
record information on the performance of their cow herd. For example, a producer might record birth weights,
weaning weights, and yearling weights. Unfortunately, the average cattle producer does not maintain the same level
of information for the financial status of their operation. For some producers, it is difficult for them to quote
their current average cost per cow. If costs and revenue are well known, the task of determining the economic
importance of traits is easier.
Customers
How often do you think about the goals of your customer? Do you know who your
customer is? If you take the time to study most successful businesses, a majority of them have a customer
evaluation system to determine customer satisfaction. This same principle must apply to the cattle industry and our
herd goals must be synchronized with the goals of our clients. Understanding the needs of our customers is a
necessary step to deciding which bull is best and an important start to understanding the needs of your
customers.
Selection
What traits should I emphasize in my bull selection? This is a common question
and there is not a simple answer. A large number of predictions for traits are available for most beef cattle
breeds. Using this information and other types of information, cattle producers can select the best animals to
match their production and marketing environments. Trait categories can be grouped into the following categories:
growth and production, maternal traits, carcass traits, reproductive traits, survivability and adaptability traits,
and convenience traits. It is important to determine the traits of economic importance. A producer should the
question, "Do the trait(s) we have in our selection criteria contribute to reducing costs of production or
increasing revenue?" Are the traits we select for in our herd important to the success and profitability of our
customer(s)?
Ideally, the traits of economic importance include those that increase profitability.
For example, one producer may have a limited amount of labor during calving; therefore, calving ease would most
likely be on the list of economically important traits. Another cattle producer might market his cattle through a
retained ownership program, and premiums or discounts are awarded for carcass quality. This producer would place a
larger emphasis on carcass traits. These examples do not promote selection emphasis on one trait or trait category.
Important trait categories, such as reproduction, should not be overlooked. Previous research has shown that in a
cow calf operation, where calves are sold at weaning, reproduction has greater economic impact over growth and
carcass traits. According to Roy Berg, "a dead calf has a very poor growth rate" and "a dead calf also has very
poor carcass performance".
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