Responsible expansion of Iowa’s cow herd program set for Dec. 2 in Albia
11/14/25
Cow-calf pair.
ALBIA, Iowa – Have you found yourself debating about whether now is a good time to expand your beef cow herd? Have you been thinking about how to optimize production to capitalize on this record-high market? The Dec. 2 program, Responsible Expansion of Iowa’s Cow Herd, might be just the ticket.
Iowa State University extension beef specialist Chris Clark said this session, to be held in Albia, will help producers think about opportunity and risk regarding herd expansion, and will include strategies to keep breeding females in the herd to increase profitability.
"We will go through an interactive exercise talking about cow appreciation/depreciation and risk based on cow age and stage of production," he said. "One of the take-home messages is that the better we do at keeping females in the herd, the more profitable we are. Then we will talk through some management practices to improve reproductive success and reduce replacement rate.”
Potential topics of discussion include nutritional management of first-calf heifers, breeding strategies for yearling heifers, animal selection and buying versus raising replacements.
The Iowa Beef Center team developed this program with producer success in mind, hoping to help them evaluate opportunity and risk of herd expansion in light of the strong cattle market.
"It’s an interesting time in the beef industry,” Clark said. “On one hand, we would all like to have as many females as possible producing calves right now. On the other hand, replacement females are really valuable. Simply put, can we afford to expand, and if we do, how do we make the most of that investment?”
This program is set for Dec. 2 from 6 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. at the Monroe County Extension Office, 4 Washington Avenue East, Suite 1, in Albia. Thanks to support from Appanoose, Davis, Monroe, and Lucas County Extension and the Iowa Beef Center, this program is offered at no charge to participants. The program is open to the public and an evening meal will be provided. Preregistration is requested to help with planning and can be done by calling the Monroe County Extension Office at 641-932-5612.
For more information about the program contact Clark by phone at 712-250-0070 or by email at caclark@iastate.edu.
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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.
Contact:
Chris Clark, Iowa State University extension beef specialist, 712-250-0070, caclark@iastate.edu
