Method of Herd Management

Abstract

A method and system to generate the highest level of return on investment of a cattle ranch producing beef to the consumer. Through the use of computer software integrated with an individual cow and calf identification system, the method and system disclosed herein allows a cattle producer to analyze the yearly production characteristics of each individual cow's calf or calves through all the various phases of growth and production with an accumulation of the economic cost and gain of value up to the end product as a feeder or cull. The total value of the carcass at the end of production, expressed as a sum of the costs associated with producing each animal minus the market value of the animal, allows the animal's economic value to be expressed by one figure which can then be used to judge the cow's ability to produce animals that meet all predetermined economically important genetic traits. This system and method of cow herd management provides a continuing improvement in the efficiency of the ranching operation and a better product for the consumers.

1 . A method of managing a cow herd for optimal production comprising: 
 identifying a calf in a cow herd;    collecting data on the calf produced from the cow herd;    classifying the calf as a feeder or a cull based on the collected data;    culling said culled calf prior to shipment to a feedlot; and    placing said culled calf into a group according to at least one of phenotype, deformity, size, weight and health.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising linking said collected data and group of said culled calf to a cow and a bull in said cow herd, wherein said culled calf is a biological offspring of said cow and bull.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the collection of data includes at least one of ear tag number weight, location, service year, vaccination type, vaccination lot number, vaccination date, weaning weight, weaning date and percentage of said cow's body weight.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the classifying step includes correlating said collected data with the genetic lineage of the calf.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the classifying step includes correlating said collected data with estimated progeny differences of said cow and bull.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the classifying step includes a statistical numerical analysis of the collected calf data and a determination of the economic costs and gains associated with the production of the calf.