Repopulating cows

摘要

A conventional drought repopulation strategy is to buy back as many bred heifers after the drought as cows were sold during the drought. The example rancher in my previous three columns sold 50 bred cows from his original 250-head cowherd in 2012; therefore, he wanted to evaluate buying back 50 bred heifers in spring 2013. The second half of this conventional drought strategy is to not hold back any 2012 heifer replacements, and then double up on replacements held back in 2013. This rancher sold allheifers born in 2012 for an added $42,000 over his 2011 calf sales. He plans to hold back all heifers born in 2013.