MT. VERNON, Mo. — The Missouri Show-Me-Select Heifer Development Program will have a meeting starting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Lawrence County Extension Center located inside the Lawrence County Courthouse, Mt. Vernon.
“The meeting is open for anyone who would like to learn about the value-added program that’s now in its 20th year,” said Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with MU Extension.
Individuals with heifers already in the Show-Me-Select program and slated for the May 19 bred heifer sale are expected to attend. Those attendees will help select advertising, draw for sale order positions and offer suggestions for the sale.
“The basics of the program will be touched on including reports from the state annual meeting held earlier in January,” said Cole.
The program has added new levels that are attracting buyers looking for outstanding heifers that have a story behind them. One example would be the Tier Two heifers which include heifers sired by bulls with designated EPD’s. The Show-Me Plus Heifers have themselves had a genomic test run on them using a panel approved by University of Missouri Extension.
According to Cole, the basic SMS heifer has met the strict health, pre-breeding exam, visual inspection and service sire calving ease criteria.
“The newer designations just add more background information, which takes some of the guesswork out of heifer selection,” said Cole.
Participation in Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifers, Inc. requires a $25 annual membership, a $5 enrollment fee per heifer and if they qualify, there is a $15 per head tagging fee.
For more information, contact any of the MU Extension livestock specialists in southwest Missouri: Eldon Cole in Lawrence County, (417) 466-3102; Andy McCorkill in Dallas County at (417) 345-7551; Dr. Randy Wiedmeier, in Douglas County at (417) 679-3525; or Dr. Patrick Davis in Cedar County at (417) 276-3313.
— Eldon Cole, livestock specialist, University of Missouri Extension
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