COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension’s Show-Me-Select (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program offers increased marketing prospects and premium value, according to an analysis by Thiago Martins, state extension beef reproduction specialist, and Adauto Rocha Junior, assistant extension professor of agricultural business and policy.

Cow-calf ranchers cull older or non-bred cows yearly and keep or buy new heifers to replace them. Replacement beef heifers provide beef producers with a strategic opportunity to incorporate females with superior reproductive and productive potential into the cowherd, whether raising or buying heifers. However, management practices when developing heifers can be decisive in the lifetime productivity and longevity of replacement beef heifers, even for the heifers with great productive and reproductive potential.

This is particularly relevant in the cow-calf sector, which is characterized by diverse and often nonstandard management practices. Established in 1996, the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program (SMS) serves as a statewide extension platform to inform and educate beef producers on sound and scientifically based heifer development practices. The program has been an educational conduit for Missouri beef producers, advancing the implementation of reproductive and genetic innovations while establishing a framework through which participants can realize enhanced economic returns from high-quality heifers.

The economic impact of the program is significant and ongoing as more producers implement the program’s Total Quality Management Strategy in their herds. Replacement heifers originating from the Show-Me-Select program are considered a consistent and dependable source of quality due to the application of best management practices, genetic selection and reproductive strategies. As a result, Missouri-raised heifers certified by the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program have greater value-added marketing opportunities. The price premium for SMS-certified heifers averaged $420.58 compared to noncertified heifers sold in livestock auctions across Missouri during fall and spring between 2018 and 2024. However, some regional differences were observed, as illustrated in Table 1.

Table 1. Regional differences in premium value for SMS-certified heifers sold during fall and spring between 2018 and 2024.

*To ensure comparability, the auction data was filtered to include only auction-sold bred heifers that fit the same criteria (i.e. frame, muscle grade, age, and body weight) used to certify SMS bred heifers. For each SMS-certified heifer, the premium was calculated as the difference between its sale price and the average price of comparable heifers sold in Missouri auctions within 15 days of the SMS sale for the same Missouri region and considering similar pregnancy stages. All monetary values have been deflated to January 2025 dollars using the consumer price index (CPI) for all urban consumers.

The average premium value contribution of artificial insemination, Tier 2 certification (i.e., based on expected progeny differences – accuracies of the heifer’s sire as defined by the SMS program) and fetal sex determination were also estimated. Artificial insemination contributed to increasing the premium of SMS-certified heifers by, on average, $114.50. The Tier 2 classification results in a premium $95.01 higher than Tier 1 heifers, and knowing the fetal sex leads to a premium $143.00 more on average than observed for SMS-certified heifers sold with unknown fetal sex. Thus, the strategic value of investing in genetic selection and improvement and utilization of reproductive technologies is validated.

The Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program is centered on Missouri’s producers and relies heavily on the active engagement of regional extension livestock specialists and local veterinarians, both of whom serve as essential pillars of the agricultural sector of this state. The central goal of the program is to promote the use of best health, nutrition, genetics and reproductive practices to ensure Missouri counties maintain their national leadership in the production of high-quality beef cattle. Additionally, SMS-participating beef producers with a surplus of high-quality replacement beef heifers may consider prospecting added premium value for the extra bred heifers through certifying and selling heifers via the SMS program.