What to do with heifers? An evaluation between raising or selling for strategic replacement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/2318179695730Keywords:
Female retention, Herd management, Productive efficiency, ProfitabilityAbstract
This study evaluated the economic feasibility of producing beef heifers for first mating at different ages compared to purchasing replacement heifers. Conducted at UFSM – Palmeira das Missões campus, RS, it utilized computational simulations to compare internal heifer production within productive systems to the acquisition of replacement heifers. Four scenarios were simulated in a hypothetical 1,000-hectare production system with a stocking rate of 0.8 AU/ha (1 AU = 450 kg body weight). The scenarios included producing replacement heifers for first mating at 36, 24, or 14 months, or purchasing replacement heifers from culling other herds. Standardized zootechnical parameters (birth rates, mortality rates, and bull ratios) and market prices from Rio Grande do Sul in the first quarter of 2024 were used. A progressive increase in net profitability (R$/ha/year) was observed, ranging from R$356.38 in systems with first mating at 36 months to R$565.29 in systems purchasing heifers, representing a 58.66% increase. Intensive systems, such as first mating at 14 months, showed profitability similar to purchasing replacement heifers. The results suggest that heifer production can be advantageous in more intensive systems. However, profitability should not be the sole criterion; aspects such as genetic improvement and herd health must also be considered in decision-making.
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References
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