Performance testing for the commercial farmer

Frans Jordaan and Dr Ben Greyling of the Agricultural Research Council write about the important role that performance testing plays in increasing a commercial herd's fertility and profitability.

- Frans Jordaan and Dr Ben

FAST FACTS

Despite the common belief that only stud breeders can benefit from performance testing, commercial farmers can also improve their operations through performance testing.

For commercial farmers to be profitable, they need to produce the optimal number and weight of weaner calves per cow mated at the lowest possible cost.

The basis of good reproduction management is excellent record-keeping.

The general perception within the beef production industry is that it is only stud breeders who can benefit from performance testing. This is simply not true! The commercial farmer can improve his or her own enterprise with regard to herd management and cow fertility, as well as the productivity and profitability of the herd. The National Beef Recording and Improvement Scheme (NBRIS), managed by the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), has all the necessary tools to assist farmers in becoming commercially productive and making the transition from emerging to commercial farmers.

The question has been asked, “When can a farmer be considered a commercial farmer and no longer an emerging farmer?” The answer is, when such a farmer can produce and deliver a product, such as meat, in the form of a weaner calf to a feedlot.

To be profitable, a commercial farmer needs to produce the optimal number and weight of weaner calves per cow mated at the lowest cost possible. Weaner calves should be marketed as economically as possible directly after weaning at the optimal weight. Fertility is crucial to achieving this efficiently, and the growth ability of calves from birth to weaning is no less important. Post-wean growth is of particular importance to the feedlot industry.