Is the calf-to-cow weight ratio a reliable measure of cow efficiency? Japie van der Westhuizen examines why this seemingly simple indicator can produce misleading comparisons when differences in cow weight, lactation, age, calf sex and weaning age are ignored. The article explains how cows lose and regain body weight during lactation, why metabolic weight is more informative than live weight alone for assessing maintenance requirements, and how environmental and genetic effects complicate comparisons. It concludes that combined selection indices based on BLUP breeding values and the economic importance of multiple traits offer a more appropriate basis for selecting efficient beef cows than simple calf:cow ratios.
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