L.PDS.2018 - PDS: Girl Power - Prioritising Heifer Performance

Summary

Nutritional feedbases for beef cattle grazing in the Desert Uplands Bioregion of central-west Queensland can be managed to enable maiden heifers (in self-replacing breeder enterprises) to achieve critical mating weights (CMW) for their first joining as two-year-olds.

As with other Australian rangeland beef producers, prolonged dry periods and their associated pasture decline, plus inherent low soil phosphorous levels, challenges successful, initial reproductive performance in these young breeders.

For four years of the Girl Power Project, three focus PDSs and nine supporting core properties in the Desert Uplands focused on their heifers and young cows to understand further and then ameliorate these constraints and related environmental and management challenges.

Concentrating on CMW and time and length of joining, these 12 participating producer entities more closely observed, monitored and recorded specific data for three consecutive age cohorts of their replacement breeders. This engendered confidence to continue and/or refine existing practices; or to adopt and implement improved practices based on new knowledge and skills in heifer management learnt through project participation.

The majority of participants experienced maiden heifer conceptions above 80% and first calf cow re-conceptions above 70%. Across the project’s four years and 12 properties, rainfall was in the top 20% of annual totals. These better seasons lifted pastures these heifers grazed from birth through to weaning their second calf.

Objectives

By August 2024, in the Desert Uplands Bioregion of Queensland, the Consultant will achieve the following:

1. 10 core producers will demonstrate and assess the potential of Heifer Best Management Practices (BMP) to:
a. Narrow the mating period in maiden heifers down to 42 days
b. Achieve 84% conception rates by optimising the timing of this six week mating period; and
c. Achieve re-conception rates of first calf heifers to a minimum of 70%.

2. Cost Benefit Analysis on the two PDS to determine the financial impact of implementing heifer BMP in the DU (at these two PDSs).

3. 100% of core producers and 50% of observer producers will, or will intend to, collect the appropriate data and implement heifer best management practices

4. 100% of core producers and 50% of observer producers will have increased their knowledge, skills and confidence in relation to heifer BMP through field days and other activities.

Key findings

Reproductive success: Higher conception rates in maiden heifers and first calf cows improved herd gross margin. Critical mating weight and favourable seasonal conditions were key factors.

Heifer management: Maintaining a Body Condition Score of 3.5+ at calving was crucial. Significant improvements included weighing heifers before joining, annual pregnancy testing, and body condition assessments.

Communication and events: The project held 10 events and 20 communications, enhancing skills in financial data recording and analysis.

Producer confidence: Access to management information and field day presentations boosted confidence and engagement. The Girl Power Project emphasised young female management.

Management plans: Formal heifer management plans increased from 10% to 75%, though recording weaning percentages remained low.

Phosphorus supplementation: Soil phosphorus levels were low, but supplementation increased from 63% to 100%.

Benefits to industry

The project provides regionally-specific data sets that producers can reference, which supports the adoption of better management practices tailored to their unique conditions.

The Girl Power Project has successfully raised the profile and importance of nurturing replacement females in the rangelands. This has not only engaged producers but also garnered media attention, highlighting the significance of this issue within the industry.

These benefits collectively contribute to improved reproductive performance, better management practices, and increased resilience of beef businesses in the Desert Uplands region.

MLA action

MLA continues to deliver the Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) program, supporting livestock producers working in peer-to-peer groups to pursue new skills, knowledge and management practices applicable to their own commercial livestock production systems.

Future research

Future research opportunities from the project include continuing PDS to investigate suboptimal breeder performance and feed deficiencies in immature replacement breeders, with robust costings to inform adoption and timeframes.

Additionally, further investigation into on-property data decision-making (DDM), its applications and collection impediments, supported by intervention strategies, is recommended. Collaboration with agencies, research organizations, and industry leaders to optimize cost-benefit ratios for deficit feeding, especially during drier seasons, is also crucial.