Cattlemen across the Southeast are being reminded that Tuesday, August 1st is the deadline for the nomination of heifers in the 2017-2018 Florida Heifer Development Program. Last year the program developed 79 head of commercial and purebred heifers for producers from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.
All heifers in the program will be housed at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna during the 187-day development process, which runs from October 2017 to April 2018. During that time they will be fed to target gains of 1.50 to 2.25 pounds per day. Heifers will be exposed to two rounds of artificial insemination to either an Angus bull selected by the program leaders, or by semen provided by the consignor, and then cleaned up with calving ease Angus bulls for the remainder of the 68 day breeding season. The cost of the program will be between $550 and $650, with the variation being accounted for by feed cost.
It is a $50.00/head non-refundable fee to nominate a heifer and consignors must be members of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. Each consignor can nominate up to 10 head per operation, heifers will be accepted based on the order in which nomination forms are received. Additional consignments, over 10 heifers, will be accepted on the basis of available space and according to the order in which the nomination forms are received.
For more information about the program please call Kalyn Waters at 850-547-1108 Nomination forms and Rules and Regulations can be found online at http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-heifer-development-program/.
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