Purchasing a bull is one of the most consequential decisions a cow-calf operation can make. Bulls play an outsized role in the long-term genetic progress of our herds, especially when females are retained.

As the genetics business becomes increasingly competitive, commercial cattlemen and seedstock producers are ramping up their efforts to market the most desired traits as efficiently as possible. Among the ways they have accomplished this is developing composite herd sires.

Calving season is a critical time for commercial and seedstock beef cow-calf producers alike. To help them prepare, a variety of short- and long-term strategies and plans are devised, which may include specific management decisions plus the acquisition of tools, equipment and information-based resources.

The nuance of feeding breeding stock takes on greater dimension compared to feeder cattle because of the long-term considerations required of breeding stock. In a broad sense, the goal with replacement heifers is to give them the nutritional foundation for success that will hopefully allow them to produce eight to 10 big, healthy calves in their productive lifetime.

In cow-calf operations, reproductive rate is the foundational productive function of the enterprise. Obviously, if cows do not become pregnant, then no calves are produced for revenue generation the following year.

Most beef producers who routinely test cows and heifers confirm pregnancies when their calves are either weaned or preconditioned in late summer. However, experts recommend checking for pregnancy much sooner, especially during a dry spell.