DARYL G. MEYER, DVM NORTH PLATTE, NE
Your Heifer Spaying Specialist
Spaying heifers is a management tool that’s nearly a century old. It involves surgical removal of the ovaries — the primary source of estrogen and progesterone in females — thus eliminating estrous cycles and pregnancies.
For heifers destined for beef production rather than calf production, spaying has distinct advantages. Spayed heifers can be grazed or fed with steers without riding activity or worrying about the neighbor’s bull coming through a fence. Plus, heifers guaranteed as open and non-cycling draw premiums from some feedlot buyers.
Daryl Meyer, a North Platte, NE, veterinarian, spays tens of thousands of heifers in several states each year. He says spayed heifers generally are calmer than their intact counterparts. “They handle more like steers. They also gain better. If everything is equal, spayed females outperform intact heifers.”
Research indicates that spayed heifers’ performance advantage extends to both pasture and feedlot. “Some feedlot managers say spayed heifers stay on feed more consistently, more like steers. Even when feeding melengestrol acetate [MGA] to intact heifers to halt cycling activity, there’s variance in feed consumption. Spayed heifers, with more consistent intake, get more consistent feed conversion.”
Like steers, spayed heifers can be implanted, and respond better to implants than intact heifers. In fact, spayed heifers that are implanted tend to have more lean tissue and deposit less fat. One study showed average daily gain response to implants was four times greater in spayed vs. intact heifers. And grazing studies indicate a 5.5% gain advantage for spayed, implanted heifers over implanted, intact heifers, Meyer says.
"A combined average of studies over a seven-year period on spayed yearling heifers showed a 2.5%-3% gain advantage, and a 0.1-0.3 lb/day gain advantage for spayed, implanted heifers, if everything else is equal,"
Advantages of Heifer Spaying
- Producers Hand Book for Spaying Heifers
- Spayed heifers also finish and reach optimum grade sooner than intact counterparts, with the best gains coming in conjunction with implanting.
- Feedlots prefer spayed heifers because pregnancies are no longer a management issue. A calving heifer costs a feeder $150-$200/head due to calving problems, infection, decreased gain, decreased carcass quality and yield.
- Eliminate need for Pregnancy checking (palpating for pregnancy) of heifers upon feedlot arrival, using injectable abortifacients on pregnant or all heifers up on feedlot arrival saving $3-6/head, plus labor costs
- Eliminate need for feeding estrous suppressing feed additives saving $8-10 head during the feedlot phase.
Dr. Daryl G. Meyer, DVM
About Heifer Spaying
Heifer Spaying Procedure
Heifer Spaying Procedure
Why you can save money with Heifer Spaying. View short video by Dr. Meyer.
Heifer Spaying Procedure
Heifer Spaying Procedure
Heifer Spaying Procedure
It takes less than a minute to spayed a heifer!
Disinfecting Procedure
Heifer Spaying Procedure
Disinfecting Procedure
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