The_Ledger_Winter_2017

COW EFFICIENCY CONGRESS Continued from page 18

point, such as pregnancy rates and weaning weights, you can benchmark your operation’s performance over time and work to improve on those weaknesses.” Lalman noted that in the southern Great Plains where he does his re search, they have a fairly long grazing season, and their optimal cow weight is in the 1,100- to 1,200-pound range. However, he explains, environ ment is key. “We want to match cows to their environment and the different fac tors that influence that to ensure the cow is highly reproductively efficient,” Lalman said. “That means a cow who is producing a calf every 365 days for at least 12 consecutive years, trouble free, low cost, utilizes your country, gains well in the good years and thrives in the bad years and produces progeny that are acceptable and valu able after they leave the ranch gate. “Rapid change is the norm in the cattle industry now,” Lalman re marked. “The obvious thing we’ve seen at this field day is that you can modify a

“Rapid change is the norm in the cattle industry now.” – DAVID LALMAN

mature cow frame size and weight in one generation,” he said. “For some operations, that would be an advan tage and we are seeing other breeds also modifying to adapt to a given environment. We have the tools to do that now that we didn’t have 20-25 years ago.” The rest of the event covered impacts of cow size and frame on carcass traits; cow nutrition; soil and forage health; how to select efficient cows; and the effects of frame size on efficiency and longevity of beef cows, all from NDSU and OSU researchers. TL

David Lalman, Ph.D., shares that it is impor tant for all cattle producers to match cows to their environment.

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