Cow Efficiency Tool

Input your figures for your last calf crop into the boxes below.

Tip! Don’t worry if you don’t have exact figures – guess to get a ballpark figure. If you have scales, use them to benchmark weights (and condition) at key stages of the year.

Print your results

Performance benchmarks

a – Weaning weight is based on the average calf weight 200 days after the planned start of calving. Where weaning earlier, use the average calf weight at that point.  Where weaning later, adjust back to 200 days by reducing average calf weight by 1kg per day for the extra days.

b – at weaning time spring calving cows should be in good condition and at their heaviest.  Most farmers underestimate the size of their cows so weigh a sample to get a true figure.

The National Animal Disease Information Service has information sheets and webinars about all livestock diseases.

Finally, a word of caution. Calf growth rates, for instance, can be boosted by feeding high rates of expensive creep.  So, while generally a higher cow efficiency is consistent with better profitability, any actions need to be fully budgeted.

The technical efficiency of a suckler herd may also be justifiably compromised where the primary role of the herd is to deliver environmental benefits like habitat or biodiversity management. In such instances, economic compensation is normally available based on income forgone or costs incurred.