CARTHAGE, Mo. — “The November 18th Show-Me-Select™ (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program Sale at Joplin Regional Stockyards had a good turnout and active bidding on most lots,” according to University of Missouri Extension Livestock Field Specialist Patrick Davis. Heifer demand was strong as shown by the 152 heifers selling for an average price of $2,093 per head. This was the highest SMS Replacement Heifer Program Sale average for this sale location since the May 2016 sale.
“Longtime consignors had a strong showing in this sale,” says Davis. The top selling lot was sold by longtime consignor Nolan Kleiboeker Farms LLC of Wentworth, MO. This lot consisted of three head of black white face artificial insemination (AI) bred heifers that sold for $2,700 per heifer to Richard Ewing of Fordland, MO. Furthermore, Nolan Kleiboeker Farms LLC of Wentworth, MO had the top sale average with 10 black white face heifers selling for an average of $2,510 per heifer. Longtime and volume consignor John Wheeler of Marionville, MO had a strong sale where he sold 36 head of black white face AI bred heifers for the second highest sale average price of $2,361 per heifer. Another longtime consignor Kathy Wheeler of Marionville, MO had a strong sale where she sold 14 head of black white face natural service bred heifers for the third highest sale average of $2,342 per heifer.
“Doug McKinney of LaRussell, MO was the volume buyer and picked up 29 heifers for an average price of $1,779 per heifer,” says Davis. This farm’s selections came from Weber Cattle Company, Lamar, MO, Mast Farms, Lamar, MO, Dichotomy Cattle Company, Rocky Comfort, MO, Robert Miller, Aurora, MO, Kathy Wheeler, Marionville, MO, Hunter Lane Cattle Company, Pierce City, MO and John Wheeler, Marionville, MO.
“Buyers paid more money on average for AI bred heifers over natural service bred heifers,” says Davis. Seventy-two AI bred heifers sold for an average price of $2,229 per heifer compared to eighty natural service bred heifers that sold for an average of $1,970 per heifer. One benefit of purchasing AI bred replacement heifers is they will be bred to calve early in the calving season. Their calves could be older and heavier at weaning time leading to improved pounds of calf at sale time compared to natural service bred heifers. Another benefit of purchasing AI bred heifers is the accuracy and higher quality genetics in the heifer progeny compared to natural service bred heifers. This improvement in AI bred heifer progeny genetics should lead to improved progeny performance compared to natural service bred heifer progeny. Davis urges cattle producers to use artificial insemination combined with an estrous synchronization program when developing bred replacement heifers for sale to improve sale price.
The next SMS Replacement Heifer Sale at Joplin Regional Stockyards will be May 19, 2023. These fall 2023 calving sale heifers are in the process of being bred.
For more details on the SMS Replacement Heifer Program, contact your local MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Information on the SMS replacement heifer program and sales, held spring and fall, is at https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/show-me-select-replacement-heifer-program.
