K-State Research and Extension

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Tag: nutrition

Considerations for Replacement Heifer Management

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby

Heifer development is an expensive enterprise for which the return on investment does not begin until the first calf is weaned. The management decisions made during that development period can have a major impact on her productive lifespan and correspondingly cow herd profitability. Costs of production continue to increase and are one of several items of consideration when producers are making plans for raising or purchasing replacement females. Continue reading “Considerations for Replacement Heifer Management” →

Influence of Short-Term Nutritional Changes on Embryo Survival

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby

In an ideal world, each time a cow was inseminated (intentionally inseminated that is, this is an “ideal” world) it would result in a live and healthy calf. Unfortunately, even though fertilization rate is about 95 – 98%, by day 28 after mating, only 70 % are still pregnant and there are further losses before calving. While the significance of this loss is easy to see, research to reduce this loss is still hampered by the lack of a reliable early pregnancy test. Nevertheless, we can improve our understanding of factors that are known to contribute to embryonic loss and seek to minimize the impacts. Continue reading “Influence of Short-Term Nutritional Changes on Embryo Survival” →