Anyone who keeps suckler cows will know that it only takes a relatively minor issue with a stock bull, such as a sore foot, to leave you with a number of cows not in calf at the end of a defined breeding period.

It is therefore no wonder that a strong market has built up in recent years for in-calf heifers, with specialist sales now common in winter.

At the very top end, exceptional prices are being paid for heifers, which in many cases are well beyond what most pedigree herds achieve. It underlines how much interest there currently is in the showing of commercial beef cattle.

One of the striking things from these sales is the age of the heifers on offer. Many are over 30 months, and in some cases the heifers are more than 40 months old.

As noted on p32 of last week’s edition dated 12 November, the evidence from the Republic of Ireland is that these older heifers don’t last long in herds. Data from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) shows that only 4% of heifers that calved down at 31 to 35 months managed to get to a fifth calving. That compares to heifers that first calved down at 23 to 26 months, of which 39% achieved a fifth calf.

There are probably many reasons for this difference, although a heifer that reaches full maturity before calving is likely to be overfat, leading to a difficult calving and potentially also being slow to cycle again.

The best option on suckler farms is to breed your own replacements as you will have full knowledge of the maternal traits likely to be passed on. The aim should be calve down at 24 months. This requires attention to detail, especially in the first winter and the second year at grass, but going beyond this date costs money. If something does go wrong, the heifer can still be finished for prime beef.

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