• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

To Honor and Protect the Ranching Way of Life

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Why Join
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • FAQs
    • Newsroom
    • Sponsorships
    • Employment
  • What We Do
    • Theft and Law
    • Issues and Policy
    • Education
    • Students and Young Professionals
    • The Cattleman Magazine
    • Disaster Relief Fund
    • Cattle Raisers Insurance
    • Cattle Raisers Trading Co
  • Events
    • Cattle Raisers Convention
    • Policy Conference
    • Summer Meeting
    • Ranch Gatherings
    • Ranching 101
  • Join
  • Member Center
  • TSCRA Store
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Cow-calf Corner: Benefits of early culling open breeding heifers 

Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist

Early culling of open breeding heifers has several benefits to your cow-calf operations bottomline.  Pregnancy can be diagnosed by palpation at 60 days and by ultrasound as early as 30 days, so now is the now is the time to take action and cull the open heifers.  In addition to reducing grazing pressure on drought stressed pastures there are several other long-term benefits.  Typically we should expect well developed yearling heifers, at 65% of their mature weight, going into their first breeding season to conceive in a fairly short (45- 60 days) breeding season.  The easiest time in a beef breeding females life to get bred, should be as a well-developed yearling heifer.  Because of this, culling open heifers as soon as possible leads to:

  • Improving the long-term reproductive performance of your cow-herd.  Reproductive traits are low in heritability; nevertheless, culling open heifers will improve the genetic potential for reproductive performance in your cow-herd by eliminating the sub-fertile heifers.  From business standpoint, reproductive success (percent calf crop weaned) is of critical economic importance in the cow-calf sector.
  • Culling open yearling heifers right now still gives them the potential to be marketed as yearlings.  At this age they still have the potential to finish out while in the A maturity group and harvest as fed cattle reaching the most valuable Quality Grades (Choice and Prime). 

It is a best management practice to breed heifers to calve a little ahead of our mature cow herd.  It permits us to concentrate our management efforts during the heifer’s calving season and, as importantly, to give them a little extra time to breed back and calve on schedule the following year.  With this in mind, hold your replacement heifers accountable and cull opens as soon as practical to save on feed bills, capture their maximum value and improve the fertility of your cow herd.    

Written by:
Jaclyn Roberts
Published on:
September 20, 2022

Categories: TSCRA Update

Recent Posts

TSCRA commends USDA’s continued border closure to combat spread of New World screwworm

July 10, 2025

FORT WORTH, Texas (July 9, 2025)— Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl …

Continue Reading about TSCRA commends USDA’s continued border closure to combat spread of New World screwworm

Crime watch: Black Angus bull missing in Coleman County

July 9, 2025

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger HD Brittain, District 19 in West …

Continue Reading about Crime watch: Black Angus bull missing in Coleman County

Texas Ranch Receives Regional Environmental Stewardship Award

July 9, 2025

SAN DIEGO (July 8, 2025) – McFaddin Ranch in Victoria, Texas, was recognized today by the National …

Continue Reading about Texas Ranch Receives Regional Environmental Stewardship Award

Footer

Who We Are

Why Join
Leadership
Staff
Partners
FAQs
Newsroom
Sponsorships
Employment

What We Do

Theft and Law
Issues and Policy
Education
Students and Young Professionals
The Cattleman Magazine
Cattle Raisers Insurance
Cattle Raisers Trading Co.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Information

Cattle Raisers Blog
News Releases
Bereavements
Events
Sponsorships & Advertisement
Tip Hotline
Get Involved
Links

Membership

Membership Center
Membership Center Instructions
Join
Renew
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

PO BOX 101988
FORT WORTH, TX 76185

1-800-242-7820

© 2023 Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE