In last month’s issue of Progressive Cattle, we talked about how selection of commercial replacement heifers shouldn’t happen at weaning. That’s because heifers that conceive early in their first breeding season are really the only profitable replacements to keep.

As a producer, a veterinarian is someone you can call to help with emergency situations and yearly herd health decisions like vaccinations and parasite control. But with years of school and training, he or she can do much more, especially in the field of reproduction. From heifer development to pregnancy diagnosis, a veterinarian can provide reproductive services to your operation that will likely yield you a higher profit margin.

The beef world seems to love acronyms and initialism. ADG, BCS, RFI, RTS, A.I., ET … the list goes on and on. One set of letters I wish we talked more about is ROI: return on investment.