The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator
Each year, cattle producers must decide what to do with new calves. There are two options for the females: sell them as weaned heifers or keep them to raise as replacements to build the herd. There are benefits to both. Raising replacement heifers can be costly, so selling calves can seem like the...
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The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries
2024-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/135072 |
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| author | Hannah Baker |
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Each year, cattle producers must decide what to do with new calves. There are two options for the females: sell them as weaned heifers or keep them to raise as replacements to build the herd. There are benefits to both. Raising replacement heifers can be costly, so selling calves can seem like the most economical option if the producer is considering only short-term revenues. However, the lowered biosecurity risks (because outside cattle are not introduced to the herd) as well as the opportunity to build and enhance herd genetics can make raising heifers as replacements the more economical choice long term. The decision must be made again each year based on the cattle market and short- and long-term goals of the operation. To help producers decide, this publications describes and explains the Replacement Heifer Calculator, a free cost estimation tool cattle producers may use to aid in achieving their herd goals.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ef8502c2df984eae8081be66ce7bf0e8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2576-0009 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EDIS |
| spelling | doaj-art-ef8502c2df984eae8081be66ce7bf0e82025-02-08T05:39:53ZengThe University of Florida George A. Smathers LibrariesEDIS2576-00092024-08-0120244The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer CalculatorHannah Baker0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9757-1967University of Florida Each year, cattle producers must decide what to do with new calves. There are two options for the females: sell them as weaned heifers or keep them to raise as replacements to build the herd. There are benefits to both. Raising replacement heifers can be costly, so selling calves can seem like the most economical option if the producer is considering only short-term revenues. However, the lowered biosecurity risks (because outside cattle are not introduced to the herd) as well as the opportunity to build and enhance herd genetics can make raising heifers as replacements the more economical choice long term. The decision must be made again each year based on the cattle market and short- and long-term goals of the operation. To help producers decide, this publications describes and explains the Replacement Heifer Calculator, a free cost estimation tool cattle producers may use to aid in achieving their herd goals. https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/135072heifersagricultural production economicsproduction costscattle productivitycost estmates |
| spellingShingle | Hannah Baker The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator EDIS heifers agricultural production economics production costs cattle productivity cost estmates |
| title | The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator |
| title_full | The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator |
| title_fullStr | The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator |
| title_short | The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator |
| title_sort | economics of raising replacement heifers estimating direct costs using the replacement heifer calculator |
| topic | heifers agricultural production economics production costs cattle productivity cost estmates |
| url | https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/135072 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hannahbaker theeconomicsofraisingreplacementheifersestimatingdirectcostsusingthereplacementheifercalculator AT hannahbaker economicsofraisingreplacementheifersestimatingdirectcostsusingthereplacementheifercalculator |