Beef cattle producers can use the BCRC Cow-Calf Production Indicators Calculator to enter their own production numbers (only 15 numbers are needed) and compare them with an industry target and regional benchmark from the most recent regional cow-calf surveys.
Cow-Calf Production Indicators Calculator
NOTE: If an indicator is below the target or regional benchmark it does not necessarily mean that changing it will be beneficial. The cost:benefit of investing in changing each production indicator must be made on individual operations as they will vary and reflect one’s production system and enviornment that you operate in.
Step 1: Enter information in yellow highlighted cells |
Step 2: Compare to the Industry Targets ** |
Step 3: Compare to the Regional Benchmark (for cows)*** |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Choose From drop-down list |
TARGET |
Western Canada |
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| INDICATOR | ||||||||||
| Cow:Bull Ratio | # Females Exposed | N/A | 20 | |||||||
| # Bulls used | ||||||||||
| Conception Rate (% Pregnant) | # Females Bred | 81% | 94% | 92% | ||||||
| # Females Exposed | 360 | |||||||||
| Length of Calving Period | (Last Calving Date – First Calving Date) |
days
|
63 | 83 | ||||||
| Calving Distribution | ||||||||||
| Calves Born 1-21 Days | # Calves Born Day 1-21 | 61% | 60% | 60% | ||||||
| Calves Born 22-42 Days | # Calves Born Day 22-42 | 22% | 25% | 25% | ||||||
| Calves Born 43-63 Days | # Calves Born Day 42 – 63 | 5% | 10% | 10% | ||||||
| Calves Born 64+ Days | # Calves Born Day 64+ | 2% | 5% | 4% | ||||||
| # Total Calves Born | ||||||||||
| Abortion Rate (%) | # Females Bred – # of Females Calved | 1 | 12% | 3% | 1% | |||||
| # Females Bred | 330 | |||||||||
| Calving (%) | # Females Calved | 80% | 91% | 90% | ||||||
| # Females Exposed | 375 | |||||||||
| Sets of twins (#) | # Sets of Twins | |||||||||
| Calf Death Loss within the first 24 hrs(%) | # Calves Born Dead or Died within first 24 hrs | 3% | N/A | 2.2% | ||||||
| # Females Calved + # Sets of Twins | 330 | |||||||||
| Calf Death Loss after 24 hrs to weaning (%) | # Calves Died between Day-1 and Weaning | 0.3% | N/A | 2.4% | ||||||
| # Live Calves Born | 289 | |||||||||
| Weaning Rate (%) | # Calves Weaned | 79% | 85% | 86% | ||||||
| # Females Exposed | 375 | |||||||||
| Average Birth Weight (all calves) (lbs) | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Average weaning weight (all calves) lbs | N/A | 573 | ||||||||
| Lbs weaned/ Females Exposed | Total Lbs Weaned | 146440 | 407 | 460 | N/A | |||||
| # Females Exposed | 360 | |||||||||
| Age at Weaning (days) | Average age at weaning, days* | N/A | 211 | |||||||
| Adjusted 205-day Weaning Weight (lbs) | 493 | N/A | 557 | |||||||
| Average Daily Gain Pre-weaning (lbs) | Average weaning weight | 523 | 1.75 | N/A | N/A | |||||
| Average weaning age | 299 | |||||||||
| Average WW as % of Cow Weight | Total Lbs Weaned | 550 | 39% | 45% | 45% | |||||
| (adjusting bred heifer weight) | Average Mature Cow Weight, lbs | |||||||||
GOLD Indicators |
Your Numbers |
Target |
Regional Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth (weaning weight as % of cow weight) | 50 | N/A | 573 |
| Open Cows (%) | 8% | 6.0% | 7.6% |
| Length of Calving Period | 72 | 63 | 83 |
| Death Loss of Calves (%) | 3% | N/A | 5% |
*Average calving date is the date by which half of the calves were born.
** Conception Rate – Source: BCRC Topic Page, Breeding Cow Management, https://www.beefresearch.ca/topics/breeding-cows/
Length of Calving Period – Source: BCRC Post, Tightening the Calving Season: How to Increase Profitability Through Calving Distribution, https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/calving-distribution-video/
Calving Distribution – Source: BCRC Post, Tightening the Calving Season: How to Increase Profitability Through Calving Distribution, https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/calving-distribution-video/
Abortion Rate – Source: BCRC Topic Page, Breeding Cow Management, https://www.beefresearch.ca/topics/breeding-cows/
Calving % – Estimated based on industry target conception rate and abortion rate.
*** Regional benchmarks, except weaning rate, are sourced from the 2023 Canadian Cow-calf Survey. Weaning rate benchmarks are estimated based on calving rate and calf deathloss.