How young is too young?

[TwinMaple]

We have always bred our heifers to calve at 24 months of age. I know that some of you calve earlier than that so I was wondering....how young is too young?
We have a couple of yearling heifers - good shape - and would like to breed them to calve around 21 to 22 months. Anyone had any difficulty with calving this
young? Any suggestions?

 

[Till-Hill]

About 18 months is the youngest a heifer can calve and her udder be productive. As long as your feeding your heifer and she has reached puberty you will be allright.

 

[AAOK]

We once had an 8 month old Show Heifer in the Lot with a 7 month old bull.  Nine months later out popped neat little bull, unassisted.  She was about 1400lbs when she calved, and did a good job raising her calf.  We showed him as a steer at Jr Nationals the next year, and stood 2nd to the Champion prospect.  The cow went on to be a trememdous producer.

Didn't learn my lesson, and did the same thing a few years later, but the bull was only 6 months when he bred her.  I had sold the heifer as a show calf, and the buyers luted her so she wouldn't be in heat at the Fair.  I took her back, and traded them another heifer.  The heifer which aborted at 10 months settled AI on her first stick at 14 months, 1400lbs.  Still a great producer at 15 years.

I think maybe larger cattle should be bred around 12 - 14 months for optimum performance.
 

 

[Okotoks]

We had two heifers calve at just 22 months this year and both are doing fine and their calves are looking good. Our Diamond Dottie55G calved the first time at 21 months and it never affected her or her production. I think 21 months would be as young as I would want to start them but it is probably worth it if you are keeping a groups calving interval close. Making sure they get a little extra so they rebreed as two year olds would also be important.

 

[sue]

We have always bred our heifers to calve at 24 months of age. I know that some of you calve earlier than that so I was wondering....how young is too young?
We have a couple of yearling heifers - good shape - and would like to breed them to calve around 21 to 22 months. Anyone had any difficulty with calving this
young? Any suggestions?

I think it's great that you are anxious to breed and good heats are in vision. We have had more then 1 calve at 22 mos of age and stay at a 340-365 calving interval w/o pampering. I have heard old timers say it more then once- early to breed are going to be the best most productive families. The dam to  Lakeside Ripper at Matlocks had her first calf at less then 22 months- one of many examples here. Go for it.

 

[kfacres]

our best cow calved at 18 months...  was somebody else's senior show heifer calf.. and we bought her, never saw her in heat.. and even lut her 2x...  she still calved with a monster  bull calf.. he turned into a herd bull though... 

 

[simmyman67]

It depends on the breed of the heifer.

 

[The Show]

My Dad had a 6 month old shorthorn heifer and bull in the same pen way back when he was showing and he bred her and she calved fine. Wouldn't recommend that though  (lol)

 

[hamburgman]

ya your lut was probably to late by that time huh the truth

 

[flacowman]

I had a char cross heifer that calves at 16 months once, we never saw it coming until she was about 7 months along, nice little heifer that has grown up to be a donor and that first calf won commercial heifer classes all over the south, while possible I would not necessarily advise it as a rule