Resources / Beef / Herd efficiency
Beef · Growth & feed · Maternal

Herd efficiency

34%

Total weaned-calf liveweight as a percentage of the liveweight of the cows mated to produce them — a single read on whether your cow herd size matches your land’s feed availability.

Worked example · Calf : cow biomass · 54 t vs 159 t
34% Weaned calf LW Mated cow LW
Calf : cow biomass · 54 t vs 159 t
The benchmark

Efficient cow herds wean 40%+ of their mated liveweight as calf; the southern sector mean sits around 33%.

MLA More Beef from Pastures ↗
What it signals

Larger cows cost more to maintain and reduce how many breeders the property carries. This metric finds the females that wean a heavy calf relative to their own body size, lifting output per hectare without extra feed.

Data required to calculate
Females joinedno.Avg cow liveweight at joiningkgCalves weanedno.Avg calf weaning weightkg

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Cull non-pregnant cows to remove non-productive pressure from pastures.

02

Select genetics for calf growth without increasing mature frame size.

03

Wean early in dry spells to protect the body condition of breeding cows.

Questions & answers

What is herd efficiency?

Total weaned-calf liveweight as a percentage of the liveweight of the cows mated to produce them — a single read on whether your cow herd size matches your land’s feed availability.

What data do you need to calculate herd efficiency?

You need: Females joined (no.), Avg cow liveweight at joining (kg), Calves weaned (no.), Avg calf weaning weight (kg). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good herd efficiency benchmark?

Efficient cow herds wean 40%+ of their mated liveweight as calf; the southern sector mean sits around 33%.

How do you improve herd efficiency?

Cull non-pregnant cows to remove non-productive pressure from pastures. Select genetics for calf growth without increasing mature frame size. Wean early in dry spells to protect the body condition of breeding cows.

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