Production Records for Cow/Calf Producers Sandy Johnson, Beef specialist Bob Weaber, Cow/calf specialist

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1 Production Records for Cow/Calf Producers Sandy Johnson, Beef specialist Bob Weaber, Cow/calf specialist Few people really enjoy keeping records but having the records when you need them can be a great help. Cow/calf operations require considerable capital investment and sound management in the face of rising prices, regulatory uncertainty, and price volatility. Good records can inform decisions and be a great asset in troubleshooting. Records can provide documentation for value added marketing programs. Following a natural disaster, they provide documentation needed for assistance programs. Legislation that will go into effect in 2017, aimed at reducing the development of antibiotic resistance, will require producers to retain copies of veterinary feed directives for a period of two years. It is likely that the need for records to comply with regulatory requirements will only increase in the future. The silver lining such requirements could be getting producers to collect and analyze more data about their operations than they have in the past. Records for cow/calf producers fall into two main categories: those that relate to the entire herd and those that pertain to individuals. Herd level measures such as pregnancy rate and weaning weight per cow exposed are fundamental for making effective decisions related to the management of the entire herd. In most instances cows are fed and managed as groups not individuals, so group performance must be measured to assess the feeding and management program. Ultimately, herd performance determines profitability of the operation, so measures that capture successes and failures in the production system are essential for management of the herd to improve production efficiency. Individual records can range from minimal to extensive depending on the goals of the operation. Individual records identify problem animals that need to be removed from the herd and superior animals that should be retained. Individual identification is often a key component. However, in some production systems, the individual may only be identified at or near the time of marketing or culling with physical location as the only needed identifier. Indeed, tagging the outliers makes them easy to identify and is less expensive than tagging all the animals in the herd. Herd Records Herd records can be further subdivided into those that document how groups of animals were managed and those that summarize the group s performance. Herd Management Group management records include animal inventories and movements, vaccination and parasite treatment records, death loss, sales, antibiotic use, pasture use, supplementation history, and body condition score. In a sudden transition following the illness or death of the herd manager, these records would be particularly valuable.

2 A good system to track inventory changes (death loss, sales, purchases) is needed. The best type of system makes it easy to record the inventory change as soon as it is noted and does not require recording it in multiple places. While seemingly simple, an accurate inventory has proven challenging for many. Inventories can be helpful pieces of information when evaluating the results of a grazing plan or determining historical stocking rates. Vaccination records should include details about the specific product, including serial number, lot number, expiration date, withdrawal date, administration site and animal treated. This information reminds you of the product used last year and can be used as a starting point for tracing a problem with the vaccine or documenting vaccination history for marketing purposes. Vaccination records may be required for participation in value added calf or preconditioning programs. The treatment record contains similar information. This record should be used to ensure that appropriate withdrawal times have passed before a treated animal is sold. This type of documentation is important for maintaining a high quality, safe food supply and building The Red Book was developed in 1985 by University of Idaho extension specialists as part of their Integrated Reproductive (now Resource) Management (IRM) program. Now produced by NCBA, this classic can be used to record all of the key herd management and production records mentioned here. consumer confidence in the end product. A process verification program (PVP) for a calf or fed cattle marketing program may require detailed treatment records be available for third party audit. Pasture use and precipitation records become extremely valuable for determining optimal stocking rates and developing and revising drought management plans. The number of animals and body weights should be included. Many factors affect how records are collected and stored number of people involved, comfort with technology, access to electricity or internet service, and other recordkeeping requirements. The Red Book gives you a place to record all of this information. You can find an Excel file with the same record sheets at The Excel version is recommended for backing up information in the paper copy. Portable versions of the Red Book have been known to meet tragic fates in washing machines and mud puddles. Ease of integration with commercial software programs varies. Commercial software programs are discussed in the individual performance section. 2

3 Herd Performance Overall herd nutrition and management is reflected in several key measures. You can compare records from year to year and compare your herd s performance to others in the industry by using a standardized performance analysis (SPA), which was developed to provide uniform guidelines. For example, in the past producers use of the term percent calf crop has varied widely. To some it meant the percent of cows at weaning that had a calf or the percent of cows in the herd at calving that actually calved. The losses captured by those values are much narrower than what has become the industry standard definition of percent calf crop which is expressing the number of weaned calves as a proportion of cows exposed to bulls the season the weaned calves were conceived. A full SPA analysis includes both financial and production performance measures, but the focus here is on production records. To learn more about SPA analysis visit: Table production summary for example herd. 1. Breeding 2014 Cows exposed 246 hd 2. Preg Check 2014 Diagnosed Pregnant 215 hd 3. Calving 2015 Total calves born live 204 hd 4. Calves weaned hd 5. Average weaning weight 490 lbs Calculations 6. Pregnancy Percentage (line 2/line 1) x % 7. Calving Percentage (line 3 / line 1) x % 8. Percent calf crop (line 4/line 1) x % 9. Pounds weaned/cow exposed (line 5 x line 8)/ lb Table 1 shows primary information and calculations needed for key SPA production measures. This is a simplified example as many herds would need to adjust the cows exposed count based on females that move in or out of the herd. For example, cows that died after turnout, planned culls still exposed to bulls, or cows purchased pregnant or exposed but sold pregnant. For a simple spreadsheet that guides you through the inventory changes and calculation visit KSUBeef.org and follow links to beef information and reproduction. Percent calf crop or weaning percentage is the number of calves weaned divided by the number of cows exposed for breeding, multiplied by 100. For a spring born 2016 calf crop, for example, this would be the number of calves weaned in 2016 divided by the number of cows exposed in Weaning weight per cow exposed adjusts weaning weight for all the reproductive and management losses that occur from breeding one season to weaning the next. A good way to use this information is to compare to the previous year s data for the same herd or to a benchmark data set. The CHAPS database average (Table 2) shows a percent calf crop of 90, whereas the Southwest database ( summary; New 3

4 Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) has a value of 82 percent. Weaning weight per cow exposed for the example herd is 378 pounds compared to benchmark values of 495 and 434 pounds for CHAPS and Southwest, respectively. The example herd has a higher calf death loss than either database and a higher pregnancy loss than the CHAPS average. Table 2. SPA performance measures from CHAPS (88,000 cows) and SW Cow Calf SPA (36,377) databases and example herd. Item CHAPS SW 2014 Pregnancy percentage Pregnancy loss Calving percentage Calf death loss, % Calf crop percentage Calving Distribution % calves born d % calves born d % calves born d % calves born d Weaning Data Avg. weaning weight Lbs. weaned/exposed female CHAPS SW Cow Calf SPA summary Key Measures Summary _Last 5 Years_.pdf Calving distribution information can be used to understand how quickly cows are able to conceive in the breeding season. Early born calves will weigh more than later born calves at weaning so calving distribution is directly linked to weaning weight. Data shown here can be used for troubleshooting. If the goal was to improve calf crop percentage for the example herd, it would be important to understand why cows failed to conceive or causes for calf death loss. Information on pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss, and calf death loss point to timing of losses and helps a producer to know what changes to consider. It can be valuable to look at these data points by age groups such as 2 yr olds, 3 yr olds, and mature cows. Data could be used to estimate management change needed to improve pregnancy rate by 3%, for example (i.e., by offering more feed pre calving). This information would help to determine whether the increase in pounds weaned per cow exposed would be sufficient to pay for the management change through construction of a partial budget. Measuring and monitoring reproductive loses over time is key to finding and correcting problems before they become even bigger problems. The goal should not be to maximize 4

5 reproductive response but to find the optimal level of reproduction associated with cost effective use of feed resources. Individual Performance Records As genetic suppliers, seedstock producers rely heavily on individual performance records used to calculate EPDs and inform selection decisions. Commercial cow calf producers also should collect key performance records to inform management decisions including bull evaluation. In keeping up with busy schedules, performance record collection may be viewed as a chore and not critical to achieving business objectives. As a seedstock producer, complete documentation of your cattle s performance should be your primary goal. Planning is necessary to make performance testing your cattle a priority. The traits you should collect are listed in Table 3. Table 3. Evaluation criteria and data collection times for seedstock and commercial* cowcalf producers Trait Class Timing Calving ease * Calves at birth Birth weight Calves at birth Vigor Calves at birth Weaning weight* Calves days of age** Yearling weight*** Calves days of age** Yearling hip height Calves days of age** Ultrasound composition data Calves days of age** Yearling scrotal circumference Calves bulls days of age** Reproductive tract score* Calves heifers approximately 12 months of age Heifer pregnancy* Calves heifer pregnancy diagnosis months Chute score (disposition) Calves with weaning and yearling processing Carcass data Calves harvest (commercial if retained ownership) Mature weight* Cows semiannually, pre calving and post weaning with a corresponding body condition score Body condition score * Cows semiannually, pre calving and post weaning Mature height Cows semiannually, pre calving and post weaning Udder/Teat score Cows annually, at calving Pregnancy status* Cows annually at pregnancy check Dentition Cows annually at pregnancy check Feet and leg scores Cows/Bulls annually at pregnancy check/weaning **Age ranges for reporting vary by breed. Contact your breed association for specific requirements. ***Yearling or prebreeding weight of replacement heifers can be useful for tracking heifer development in relation to performance goals 5

6 After data has been collected, it should be transferred to appropriate forms or software and reported to the proper breed association(s). Data stored on a server is not useful. Some of the measures (i.e. body condition score) can be used for making day to day management decisions as well as in the computation of genetic predictors. Commercial cow calf producers should align data collection with a marketing end point. If calves are sold at weaning, use weaning weight to aid in evaluation of previous sire selection decisions. Focus data collection efforts on high impact and low cost areas. For example, traits like mature weight and body condition score not only provide important information about your cow s genetics, these measures are helpful in monitoring current and future feed allocation. If you run a commercial operation and retain ownership of calves through harvest, collection of carcass data can provide insight into the effectiveness of sire selection. Learn to recognize and seize opportunities for data collection. For instance, you could replace individual calf weaning weights with draft weights if you only need to compute total calf production for herd level data analysis. With a large number of cattle, draft weights are much easier and less expensive to collect. If you have a small herd, it may be easy to collect individual weights. A scoring system is handy for recording traits such as calving ease and udder. Before developing your own system, consider the uniform guidelines suggested by the Beef Improvement Federation at MasterEd BIF GuidelinesFinal pdf. Record Keeping Systems Record keeping systems can take on many forms. There is certainly no one right way. Records could be handwritten but with today s technology and data management options, computerized records provide numerous options and automated reports. Indeed, trying to find the best cow/calf management software can be intimidating. How do you determine what type of record keeping system is best for your operation? Start with herd goals and the records that will be useful in achieving those goals. Any software program you consider should have features that work for a wide range of clients. Avoid program reports and features that may seem overwhelming to someone with relatively simple needs or one who is a beginner at computer record keeping. While needs may change over time, it is important to identify the type of data you want to collect and report. Oklahoma State University faculty have surveyed companies offering cow/calf software programs. The most recent report (August 2015) can be found at /CR 3279web15.pdf. This publication lists numerous data points and summaries that are featured components of various software programs. Once you have thought about the records you think you need, compare it to this list. It may help you identify other useful measures that you had not previously considered. If you are just getting started, don t collect more data than you can use effectively. 6

7 Computer requirements and other considerations are included for each software company included in the report. Most have a trial version available. Support and training in using the program should be part of your product comparison. There is value in working with a company that has been in the industry for a number of years with a history of keeping pace with the technology advancements and data systems. Integrating with software in tools such as smart phones, scales, and electronic ID readers are valuable features and will be even more so as the industry advances in data collection technologies. Plan to set aside time to learn and set up a new electronic cow/calf record keeping system. The more you use the tool the easier it will be to use. Lean on team members who are more comfortable with the technology. A local 4 H or FFA member might be a good partner for someone looking for extra help with the computing side. The producer s knowledge of the records is the key, but finding where and how to complete the task within the record system might come more easily to a person who grew up using computers. Producers with fairly simple record requirements and good computer skills may find that using Excel spreadsheets or a database program such as Access works as effectively as commercial programs. You can download an Excel spreadsheet template to calculate adjusted 205 day and yearling weights at this site: state.edu/species/beef/researchand extension/breeding and genetics.html. Incorporate scoring systems for calving difficulty, udder scores, death loss, or reasons for disposal from the Beef Improvement Federation s Guidelines as noted in the individual performance section. You may still want to record details about an event, but including a score is helpful when you summarize the data. Some producers are using Google Forms, a free service that allows you to develop your own form for online data collection. Data is aggregated in a spreadsheet form and can be downloaded to your computer. Producers are using this fully customizable online tool on smartphones and tablets to collect production/operation data. A possible constraint is that it requires an internet connection to complete the web forms. The more you know about key characteristics of your cows and herd as a whole, the better able you will be to manage and achieve production goals. Technology is not the answer to every problem, but it is excellent for storing and reporting data. Having data at hand can inform your decisions and improve the management of your herd. 7