ABSTRACT
Objectives
The objectives were to (a) evaluate whether marginal reproductive gains from early
weaning (EW) calves of first-calf replacement heifers extend throughout the animal’s
productive life and (b) compare via cost–benefit analysis EW with conventional weaning
(CW) practices on a vertically integrated ranch in Florida, USA.
Materials and Methods
A system dynamics model was developed to evaluate CW versus EW of calves from replacement
heifers that calve in the first 21 or 42 d of the calving season. A combination of
sensitivity analyses and deterministic management tests (EW vs. CW and 21- vs. 42-d
calving seasons) were simulated and compared across a range of 18 production and financial
metrics, including net present value, over the useful life of one generation of replacement
heifers. We hypothesized that EW calves from replacement heifers would improve reproductive
performance, resulting in greater total calves produced and, therefore, improved cow-calf
and whole-system profitability.
Results and Discussion
The 42-d calving criteria for EW created significant production and financial gains
and outperformed the 21-d calving criteria. Counterintuitively, these gains did not
arise in the cow-calf or feedyard segments (which saw financial declines) but in the
stocker segment due to more efficient livestock gains facilitated by lower weaning
weights of incoming calves. Sensitivity analyses corroborated these trade-offs. Feedyard
sale price (i.e., value received for finished cattle) was the most influential factor
influencing whole-system profitability.
Implications and Applications
Trade-offs and incentives between enterprises may provide misleading feedback and
mask changes that improve the system as a whole (e.g., EW reduced calf weaning weights
and reinforced the reproductive performance pressure on management; gains at the stocker
segment may mask EW benefits at the cow-calf level, making the cow-calf enterprise
more reliant on short-term adjustments, a behavior known as “shifting the burden”).
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 17,
2021
Received:
September 23,
2021
Footnotes
The authors have not declared any conflicts of interest.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
