Traditional postweaning development of replacement heifers has targeted heifers to achieve 60% to 65% of mature body weight (BW) prior to breeding (Patterson et al., 1992). Altering feeding strategies to utilize compensatory growth reduced inputs and increased profitability without negatively affecting reproductive performance (Roberts et al., 2009). Similar pregnancy rates have been reported in heifers developed to a lower percentage of mature body weight (50% to 55%; Funston et al., 2012) and in heifers developed on a stair-step program (Freetly et al., 2001).
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