Author: Timothy Estes
Planning Unit: Hart County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Increasing Agriculture Awareness and Profitability
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Cattle prices are currently near historic highs. Even with those high prices it is as important as ever to make wise decisions that affect your bottom line. A decision that is not as often thought about as intensive as it should be is heifer selection. To bring awareness to this the Hart County Ag and Natural Resource agent held a Heifer selection class on November 8, 2023. Fourteen producers attended the session representing over 300 head of cattle. UK Extension Beef Specialist gave an excellent presentation on the importance of understanding your own farm and financial situation but also knowing your cow herd to understand what gaps need to be filled. He also challenged the producers to really think about if buying or raising heifers is their best option. The bulk of the presentation was about physical appraisal of heifers and knowing the qualities that a good replacement female should have. After the evaluation it was determined that most of the producers (80%) raised their own heifers with a couple saying that they both raised and bought heifers. When asked what kind of value they placed on the knowledge learned in this program, 4 producers responded with values totaling over $2000 with one producer saying the value was limitless. Most producers signified the need to make a practice change such as choosing bulls with better maternal traits or trying to increase the amount of hybrid vigor in their herd. One producer said he may stop raising heifers completely and start purchasing heifers so that he can focus more on terminal traits which would in turn increase the bottom line of his operation. In collaboration with the Hart County FCS Agent, Autumn Sweet potato chili was prepared and served as a refreshment for the attendees that evening. Everyone loved the recipe with most people saying they would take the recipe home and serve it to their own family.
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