BY: Ross Dodt
QDPI Mackay Qld.
Cattle Husbandry Specialist
dodtr@dpi.qld.gov.au

So, you just have to sell breeders and are trying to work out which ones to sell. For the best outcomes, you will want to sell the most profitable, highest risk breeders first. Here's how to make your selections.

I'll start by using the old caveat "Everyone's situation is different", but if you follow the principles outlined, you should be able to apply them virtually any time, anywhere in Australia for any size commercial herd. I will give you the dot points on 'how to make the decision' first and then my reasons.

How to make the decision:

• First, classify your cows into two groups, either wet or dry, then into two subgroups, pregnant or empty. Deal with each group separately.
• Next, decide which months are the 'preferred' calving period in your region. I have tabled optimum and preferred calf drop times for each State at the end of this article. These times will of course vary with the season you are experiencing.
• Then, think money or profit.

The method of selecting cows to sell

A dry empty cow will generate no income until she next weans a calf. Depending on seasonal conditions she may take several months to conceive followed by a 9 month gestation and possibly 8 months before the calf is weaned. All up around 18 months unless you 'early' wean. The most profitable thing is to convert her to money. The money is better in the bank reducing debt or spent on an income producing activity.

Dry Pregnant Cows

The time of the year the calf is born is important in deciding whether to keep or sell these cows. Calves born outside the 'Preferred' period represent less income in terms of calf growth, drought risk and cow re-conception. Each region can identify a preferred time for cows to calve, even if cows cannot be managed to calve in this period.

Wet Cows

Wet cows have the complication of having a calf at foot. They are usually lower in condition than dry cows and therefore less valuable and less saleable. Even so, they should be evaluated on pregnancy status in a similar manner to the dry cows.

A non-pregnant cow which has a weaning age calf at foot could be a sale candidate in 2-3 months once she is fattened. Crop fattening or feedlotting are options to consider. The urgency for cash and the economics of fattening are 'cards to be played' with these cows.

Identifying cows which have just had a calf weaned from them can be difficult. If they have the opportunity, they usually 'show up' at the yards with full udders after the muster. A pregnancy test of this mob could be rewarding in terms of sale options.

The Message:

When breeders have to be sold, You should assess the impact that the breeders you sell will have on the future income of your property and its running costs. If you fail to make this assessment, you might solve short term problems but you could be setting up disadvantages for your property in the long term.

For example, property running costs could be forced upwards because retained cows are a drought risk or because calves are slower growing.

An example

To put this advice into perspective, consider a producer in Central Queensland making the decision to sell cows during a muster in May.

Electing to sell dry, empty cows is a relatively easy decision to make. But, to help you visualise the decision on pregnant cows, wet or dry, it is helpful to draw a Pregnant cow decision table. (An explanation of how to draw a similar table for your property is at the end of this article.)

The ideal months for a cow to calve are a compromise between calf growth and cow performance in terms of re-conception and drought risk. For Central Queensland, October and November are the ideal months for a cow to calve, while calves born August to December are preferred to calves dropped January-July.

Pregnant cow decision table

The above table has been drawn to show boxes that represent the 'ideal' and 'preferred' calf drop periods for Central Queensland. It also lists the possible pregnancy status of any cow in a May muster (1-9 mths). Cows which calve outside the boxes should be the first identified for sale. Cows calving within the small box, ie the 'ideal' period, are the definite ones to keep if possible

The priority order for selling cows at this muster (apart from obvious culls) is summarised below.

Summary: Cow Selling Decision
(May muster, Central Queensland producer.)

Draw your own Pregnant cow decision table

Start by leaving the body of numbers the same, then replace the month headings across the top, starting in the first (left) column with your month of muster. Lastly, mark in the 'Ideal calving' and 'Preferred calving period' boxes as they apply to your region (choose these from the table below). The first pregnant cows to go should be those cows that will calve (have the No.9) outside of any box. If you have to cut deeper, sell those that will calve within the big box only. The ones you sell last are those that will calve within the small box.

A guide to the best calf drop months by State and region

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