Selection Criteria

All cattlemen seek an efficient cattle production. In Costa Rica as well as in other tropical countries, the best solution is a pasture-based system, and all variables must be sin sync. A very important part of all this is the cow, which represents a 50% total of the cost of production.

The Ideal Cow

The ideal cow must have her first calf at a young age; she should give birth every 12 months and always wean a stocky, sturdy calf. A cow like this gives great results.

Only medium-sized cows meet the necessary conditions to respond well to pasture-based systems, that is, to wean a good calf by 12 months. This has been proven in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica, among others.

Under Costa Rican conditions, the ideal cow must weigh between 500Kg and 600Kg by adult age. Such a cow is better adapted to produce more calf kilos in her life span than say, a 700Kg cow. Also, the 500Kg-600Kg cow eats less, so she has a lower production cost.

There is always the argument about whether a smaller cow is a more productive cow. First of all, she eats less, allowing for a lower cost and you can have fewer animals on the same area of land. Second, because she has a weight compatible with the feed offer, she can breed a good calf and keep an excellent body condition. Because of this, she will meet optimal conditions to go into heat again. A good pregnancy percentage is a keystone in cattle breeding.

The cattle industry needs to increase productivity, efficiency and profits. Regulating the size of production cattle has helped a lot, by stimulating an increase in fertility, calf production and a decrease in the time between births.