University of Missouri Extension’s Show-Me-Select (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program offers increased marketing prospects and premium value, according to an analysis by Thiago Martins, state extension beef reproduction specialist, and Adauto Rocha Junior, assistant extension professor of agricultural business and policy.
Cow-calf ranchers cull older or non-bred cows yearly and keep or buy new heifers to replace them. Replacement beef heifers provide beef producers with a strategic opportunity to incorporate females with superior reproductive and productive potential into the cowherd, whether raising or buying heifers. However, management practices when developing heifers can be decisive in the lifetime productivity and longevity of replacement beef heifers, even for the heifers with great productive and reproductive potential.
This is particularly relevant in the cow-calf sector, which is characterized by diverse and often nonstandard management practices. Established in 1996, the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program (SMS) serves as a statewide extension platform to inform and educate beef producers on sound and scientifically based heifer development practices. The program has been an educational conduit for Missouri beef producers, advancing the implementation of reproductive and genetic innovations while establishing a framework through which participants can realize enhanced economic returns from high-quality heifers.
Source : missouri.edu