63 Cow Efficiency Measured by Performance Metrics 2019-2023: The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

The Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association (BCIA) Commercial Record Keeping Program created the BCIA Performance Advocate Program to encourage producers to expand record keeping for further evaluation of whole herd performance. Collection of cow weight at calf weaning can be used as a metric to evaluate cow performance and efficiency. From 2019 to 2023, ten beef cattle operations collected individual cow weight at calf weaning (n=1430 observations) annually. The average herd size for these operations was 143 head. Cow age was classified as 2 to 4 years old, 5 to 8 years old and 9 years and older. Cow weight was classified into three categories as small (1199 lb or less), moderate (1200 to 1499 lb) or large (1500 lb or greater). Average cow weight per category was small 1117 lb (n=396), moderate 1336 lb (n=859) and large 1592 lb (n=175). Within each age range and size category, cow performance was measured by cow body weight and age relationship, average calving interval, average calf adjusted weaning weight and percentage cow body weight weaned. Overall, average cow weight was 1307 lb, with a 377-day average calving interval and 600 lb average calf adjusted weaning weight. Across age categories, slight differences were shown in metrics. Across cow body weight categories, average calving interval increased as cow body weight increased (20 days from small to large, 11 days moderate to large, 9 days small to moderate). Regardless of cow age, the large weight category maintained average calving intervals 13 to 14 days longer than the overall average. As cow body weight increased, average calf adjusted weaning weight also increased (50 lb from small to large, 32 lb small to moderate, 18 lb moderate to large) regardless of cow age. Comparing calf adjusted weaning weights across cow age and cow body weight categories, modest differences between the moderate and large categories were found (2 to 4 years 9 lb, 5 to 8 years 15 lb, 9 years and older 31 lb). The relationship between cow body weight and calf adjusted weaning weight was low (r2=0.0853). As cow age and weight increases, percentage of cow body weight weaned decreases (2 to 4 years 53%, 46%, 38%; 5 to 8 years 51%, 46%, 39%; 9 years and older 52%, 45%, 40% for small, moderate and large weight categories respectfully). In summary, collecting cow body weight at calf weaning and measuring its impact on performance enhances producer awareness of herd metrics, genetic and management practices to strive to improve cow efficiency.