ASCI 250 Cow/Calf Exam Questions And
Answers 100% Verified 2025
Which of the following would NOT be responsible for a low calving percentage in the
cow herd? CORRECT ANSWERS Inadequate calf nutrition and scours
Which of the following has NO effect on a producer's BREAK-EVEN cost of producing
weaned feeder calves? CORRECT ANSWERS Market price of weaned calves
After all adjustments were incorporated, Herbie calculated that he had 120 exposed
females. During the calving season, 115 full-term calves were born (112 live, 3 dead),
but only 108 calves were weaned. Calculate the percent CALF CROP of this herd
(rounded to the nearest whole number). CORRECT ANSWERS 90%
Calculate the calf death loss percentage for this operation. They had 100 exposed
cows. Prior to calving 2 cows aborted. During the calving season, 90 calves were born,
but 4 of those calves were stillborn. Later, 5 calves died due to pneumonia and 3 others
because of the scours. Eighty calves were weaned. CORRECT ANSWERS 13.3%
(12/90 = 13.3%)
Which of the following basic measures of cow/calf performance combine into one figure
the herd reproductive rate, calf death loss, and genetics for growth and maternal traits.
Changes in this value over the course of several years can be used to manage trade-
offs between growth and reproductive performance of the herd. CORRECT ANSWERS
Pounds waned per exposed female
A venereal disease that causes late-term abortions will most likely be reflected by which
performance measurement? CORRECT ANSWERS A low calving percentage
A review of low, medium, and high-profit Kansas producer, by Pendel and Herbel (2018)
indicate that high profit producers have a lower total feed cost ($/cow) despite spending
more on pasture ($/cow) than lower profit producers. CORRECT ANSWERS True
A review of low, medium, and high-profit Kansas producers, by Pendel and Herbel
(2018) indicate that high-profit producers typically have greater breeding costs to
develop enhanced genetics than low-profit producers. CORRECT ANSWERS False
Which of the following could be a potential cause of a low calving percentage in the cow
herd? CORRECT ANSWERS Poor body condition
Inadequate bull power relative to the number of cows in the herd
Presence of a reproductive disease that causes embryonic death and early term
abortions.
, Assuming that everything can be maintained constant, except a single variable; a
reduction in feed or input costs is the only factor not associated with diminishing returns.
CORRECT ANSWERS True
What input factor is responsible for the greatest percentage of annual cow costs, for
most operations? CORRECT ANSWERS Feed expenses
After the breeding season, if one elects to place all open (non-pregnant) heifers in the
feedlot, those heifers may be subtracted from the total number of exposed females for
the calculation of basic reproductive measures. CORRECT ANSWERS False
Which of the following basic measures of cow/calf performance provides the best
indicator of overall cow herd performance including both growth and reproductive
performance? CORRECT ANSWERS lbs weaned per exposed female
When calculating reproductive performance, via Standardized Performance Analysis
(SPA), only those cows exposed on your ranch must be included in the calculation.
CORRECT ANSWERS False
Excluding salvage cow value, calculate the break-even cost of production for an
operation that has an annual cow cost of $800, produces a 90% calf crop, and has an
average weaning weight of 600 lbs. The market price for 600-lb feeders is $230/cwt
($2.30/lb). Answers are rounded to the nearest dollar. CORRECT ANSWERS $148/cwt
On Jan. 1, Herbie had 100 cows. In February, he elected to cull 20 colder, poorer
performing cows. They were replaced with 25 yearling heifers. The yearling heifers were
artificially inseminated on April 1, and the bulls were turned in with the cows on May 1.
After the breeding season, Herbie preg-checked all cows and heifers. Ten open (non-
pregnant) females were sold, but he also elected to sell 30 late-bred females, receiving
a bred-cow premium, in an effort to downsize his herd and concentrate his calving labor.
Prior to the calving season, an early blizzard blew through, and he unfortunately lost 2
cows to the elements, and 3 others aborted. Calculate the number of exposed females
(cows and heifers for this operation. CORRECT ANSWERS 75 exposed females
For a typical spring-calving operation, what period is considered a "critical period"
because it is often associated with a nutritionally limiting time of year and major fetal
growth associated with the 3rd trimester of gestation. CORRECT ANSWERS Period 4:
50 days pre-calving
What is considered the ideal body condition score for both 1st and 2nd calf cows?
CORRECT ANSWERS 6
Which of the following cows would you expect to have the greatest nutritional
requirements? Clue: pre-partum means before calving; post-partum means after
calving. CORRECT ANSWERS 1200-lb cow nursing a 150-lb calf, 2 months post-
partum
Answers 100% Verified 2025
Which of the following would NOT be responsible for a low calving percentage in the
cow herd? CORRECT ANSWERS Inadequate calf nutrition and scours
Which of the following has NO effect on a producer's BREAK-EVEN cost of producing
weaned feeder calves? CORRECT ANSWERS Market price of weaned calves
After all adjustments were incorporated, Herbie calculated that he had 120 exposed
females. During the calving season, 115 full-term calves were born (112 live, 3 dead),
but only 108 calves were weaned. Calculate the percent CALF CROP of this herd
(rounded to the nearest whole number). CORRECT ANSWERS 90%
Calculate the calf death loss percentage for this operation. They had 100 exposed
cows. Prior to calving 2 cows aborted. During the calving season, 90 calves were born,
but 4 of those calves were stillborn. Later, 5 calves died due to pneumonia and 3 others
because of the scours. Eighty calves were weaned. CORRECT ANSWERS 13.3%
(12/90 = 13.3%)
Which of the following basic measures of cow/calf performance combine into one figure
the herd reproductive rate, calf death loss, and genetics for growth and maternal traits.
Changes in this value over the course of several years can be used to manage trade-
offs between growth and reproductive performance of the herd. CORRECT ANSWERS
Pounds waned per exposed female
A venereal disease that causes late-term abortions will most likely be reflected by which
performance measurement? CORRECT ANSWERS A low calving percentage
A review of low, medium, and high-profit Kansas producer, by Pendel and Herbel (2018)
indicate that high profit producers have a lower total feed cost ($/cow) despite spending
more on pasture ($/cow) than lower profit producers. CORRECT ANSWERS True
A review of low, medium, and high-profit Kansas producers, by Pendel and Herbel
(2018) indicate that high-profit producers typically have greater breeding costs to
develop enhanced genetics than low-profit producers. CORRECT ANSWERS False
Which of the following could be a potential cause of a low calving percentage in the cow
herd? CORRECT ANSWERS Poor body condition
Inadequate bull power relative to the number of cows in the herd
Presence of a reproductive disease that causes embryonic death and early term
abortions.
, Assuming that everything can be maintained constant, except a single variable; a
reduction in feed or input costs is the only factor not associated with diminishing returns.
CORRECT ANSWERS True
What input factor is responsible for the greatest percentage of annual cow costs, for
most operations? CORRECT ANSWERS Feed expenses
After the breeding season, if one elects to place all open (non-pregnant) heifers in the
feedlot, those heifers may be subtracted from the total number of exposed females for
the calculation of basic reproductive measures. CORRECT ANSWERS False
Which of the following basic measures of cow/calf performance provides the best
indicator of overall cow herd performance including both growth and reproductive
performance? CORRECT ANSWERS lbs weaned per exposed female
When calculating reproductive performance, via Standardized Performance Analysis
(SPA), only those cows exposed on your ranch must be included in the calculation.
CORRECT ANSWERS False
Excluding salvage cow value, calculate the break-even cost of production for an
operation that has an annual cow cost of $800, produces a 90% calf crop, and has an
average weaning weight of 600 lbs. The market price for 600-lb feeders is $230/cwt
($2.30/lb). Answers are rounded to the nearest dollar. CORRECT ANSWERS $148/cwt
On Jan. 1, Herbie had 100 cows. In February, he elected to cull 20 colder, poorer
performing cows. They were replaced with 25 yearling heifers. The yearling heifers were
artificially inseminated on April 1, and the bulls were turned in with the cows on May 1.
After the breeding season, Herbie preg-checked all cows and heifers. Ten open (non-
pregnant) females were sold, but he also elected to sell 30 late-bred females, receiving
a bred-cow premium, in an effort to downsize his herd and concentrate his calving labor.
Prior to the calving season, an early blizzard blew through, and he unfortunately lost 2
cows to the elements, and 3 others aborted. Calculate the number of exposed females
(cows and heifers for this operation. CORRECT ANSWERS 75 exposed females
For a typical spring-calving operation, what period is considered a "critical period"
because it is often associated with a nutritionally limiting time of year and major fetal
growth associated with the 3rd trimester of gestation. CORRECT ANSWERS Period 4:
50 days pre-calving
What is considered the ideal body condition score for both 1st and 2nd calf cows?
CORRECT ANSWERS 6
Which of the following cows would you expect to have the greatest nutritional
requirements? Clue: pre-partum means before calving; post-partum means after
calving. CORRECT ANSWERS 1200-lb cow nursing a 150-lb calf, 2 months post-
partum
