How Much Does a 6 Month Old Beef Calf Weigh?

Heifer growth is often compared to breed standards to determine normal progress. We designed breed-specific, printable Growth Charts that may be used to plot heifer growth by hand. The charts are based on measurements taken of a lot of heifers of different breeds across the United States in 1991 and 1992. Most of the information came from herds where the average age of the first calf was just over 24 months. Because of this, the heifers were probably smaller at any given age than heifers on well-run dairy farms today, where heifers give birth at 22 to 24 months old.

The Holstein heifer growth charts indicate several percentiles of the U. S. population, allowing a producer to compare an individual heifer to all others and to set growth goals. It is possible to keep most of the heifers near the 75th percentile and the whole herd between the median and the 95th percentile.

All other breeds’ growth ranges are shown to be between the median and the 67th percentile of the population as a whole. To have high production potential and give birth early (24 months or less), each heifer should be near the top of or just above the range shown.

Raising beef cattle is a time and labor intensive process. One key milestone is when calves reach 6 months of age and are weaned off their mothers. At this point, cattle ranchers want to know – how much should my 6 month old beef calf weigh? There is no single answer, but we’ll examine the typical weight ranges and factors impacting growth.

Average Weaning Weights

Most beef calves are weaned from their mothers somewhere between 6-10 months of age. This is when they stop nursing and transition to eating only grass, hay, and grain.

At 6 months old, a beef calf will generally weigh between 400-700 pounds, with an average of around 500-600 pounds Here are some benchmarks for expected weights

Angus calves: 500-700 lbs
Hereford calves: 450-650 lbs
Simmental calves: 500-750 lbs
Charolais calves: 600-800 lbs
Brahman calves: 500-700 lbs

However, weights can vary significantly based on the calf’s gender, breed, nutrition, and health. Heifers tend to be smaller than steers. Certain breeds like Charolais are naturally larger. And factors like nutrition impact individual growth.

Typical Weight Gains

From birth to 6 months, a healthy beef calf gains around 2 pounds per day on average. This depends heavily on the quality and quantity of the calf’s diet.

Here are the typical weight ranges at various ages

Birth weight: 60-100 lbs
3 months old: 300-500 lbs
6 months old: 500-700 lbs
9 months old: 650-850 lbs
12 months old: 750-1,000 lbs

So in the first 6 months, a calf may gain 400-600 pounds. In the next 3 months leading up to weaning, they may add another 100-200 pounds. The daily gains tend to taper off as calves get older.

Factors Impacting Calf Weights

Several key factors influence the growth rate and weights of beef calves:

Breed

Larger breeds like Charolais gain weight faster than smaller breeds.

Gender

Steers grow larger than heifers. Castration eliminates testosterone which enables faster growth.

Genetics

Some bloodlines and pedigrees naturally produce heavier animals.

Milk Production

Heavier milk supply from the mother provides extra nutrition for better gains.

Creep Feeding

Providing supplemental grain creep feed alongside nursing boosts weight.

Health Management

Preventing illness and properly treating any issues helps keep calves growing.

Forage Quality

Abundant pasture for grazing coupled with quality hay gives calves more nutrition.

Weather and Housing

Extreme weather and poor housing create stress that inhibits growth.

With excellent genetics, nutrition, and health management, a beef calf can reach 800 pounds or more by 6 months of age. But typically they will fall in the 500-700 pound range. Monitoring monthly weight gains helps gauge if the calves are on track or need any intervention to reach their growth potential.

Target Weights for Beef Calves

For calves being raised for beef production, farmers aim to have them reach certain target weights by key ages. This helps ensure they are on track to reach slaughter weights and that the farm is operating efficiently. Some typical target weights include:

600-800 lbs at weaning (6-9 months)
800-1,000 lbs after backgrounding period (12-15 months)
1,200-1,400 lbs at slaughter (18-24 months)

Reaching these benchmarks indicates things like cost of gain and feed conversion are where they need to be for profitability. Processing animals at the ideal finished weight maximizes meat production.

Weighing Methods

In order to track calf weights and growth, ranchers have several options for weighing their cattle:

Portable livestock scales – Smaller platforms can weigh one calf at a time. Larger scales work for groups.
Squeeze chute scale – Integrated into cattle chutes to instantly weigh as calves pass through.
Electronic ear tags – Tags transmit calf weight data wirelessly to the computer system.
Video imaging – Cameras and software estimate weights based on body dimensions.
Weight tape – Tapes wrapped around the calf’s chest calculate an estimated weight.

Regular weighing, at least monthly, provides the data needed to ensure calves hit target weights and profit projections. Automated systems help streamline the process for large herds.

Uses for Calf Weight Data

Tracking calf weights serves several important purposes:

Identify underperforming calves needing intervention
Calculate average daily gain and project future weights
Evaluate effectiveness of nutrition and health programs
Select best performing animals for breeding stock
Determine optimal times to wean and move to next production phase
Calculate profits or losses hitting target finished weights

Reviewing weight trends over time can reveal opportunities for improvement in genetics, nutrition, or management practices. Each calf weight provides one more data point to enhance the beef operation.

Maximum Healthy Weight Gain

While getting calves to grow rapidly boosts beef output, farmers need to be careful not to push gains too fast. There is a point of diminishing returns where excess weight can actually harm the animal’s health and quality.

Here are some tips for maximizing healthy weight gain:

Provide abundant forage through pasture rotation and high quality hay.
Feed a balanced grain ration with proper calcium for bone development.
Ensure proper vaccination and quick treatment of any illnesses.
Allow calves rest and lower stress environment.
Improve genetics over multiple generations.
Work closely with veterinarian to monitor health issues.
Avoid artificial growth hormones which can have side effects.

Calf weight should steadily increase each month. But doubling birth weight in 60 days or gaining over 3 pounds daily can be warning signs to consult your veterinarian. Slower growth with a focus on health leads to stronger long term outcomes.

At around 6 months old and 500-700 pounds, beef calves are well on their way to eventually producing high quality beef. Monitoring their rate of weight gain ensures they stay healthy while reaching their full potential. With the right genetics, nutrition and care, cattle producers can achieve excellent calf growth to weaning and beyond.

how much does a 6 month old beef calf weigh

Brown Swiss Growth Chart

Table 1. Recommended range of body weight and withers height for Brown Swiss heifers.

Age	Body Weight (pounds)	Body Weight (pounds)	Withers Height (inches)	Withers Height (inches)
1	134	163	32	34
2	187	223	34	36
3	240	283	36	38
4	293	343	37	40
5	345	403	39	42
6	396	462	40	44
7	447	521	42	45
8	498	580	43	46
9	548	637	44	48
10	597	694	45	49
11	645	750	46	50
12	693	805	47	51
13	739	859	48	52
14	785	912	49	52
15	829	963	49	53
16	872	1013	50	54
17	914	1061	50	54
18	955	1107	51	55
19	994	1152	51	55
20	1032	1194	52	56
21	1068	1235	52	56
22	1103	1273	52	56
23	1136	1309	53	57
24	1167	1343	53	57
25	1197	1374	53	57

from the National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project (1991-92). Heifers in this survey had an average age at first calving of 27. 0 ± 1. 7 months. Recommended ranges represent the 50th to 67th percentile. Percentiles describe the percentage of observations that fall below that level.

Table 1. Recommended range of body weight and withers height for Guernsey heifers.

Age (months)	Body Weight (pounds)	Body Weight (pounds)	Withers Height (inches)	Withers Height (inches)
1	122	143	31	33
2	166	193	33	35
3	203	233	35	37
4	255	299	37	38
5	299	354	38	41
6	366	434	40	42
7	384	448	41	43
8	433	503	42	44
9	482	568	43	47
10	511	588	44	46
11	574	662	45	47
12	576	674	46	48
13	643	756	46	48
14	696	803	47	49
15	740	866	48	50
16	779	899	49	51
17	830	950	50	52
18	864	1001	50	52
19	900	1015	51	52
20	914	1046	51	53
21	967	1112	51	53
22	996	1123	52	54
23	1025	1177	52	54
24	1026	1178	52	55

Data from the National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project (1991-92). Heifers in this survey had an average age at first calving of 26. 2 ± 2. 0 months. Recommended ranges represent the 50th to 67th percentile. Percentiles describe the percentage of observations that fall below that level.

Table 1. Recommended range of body weight and withers height for Ayrshire heifers.

Age (months)	Body Weight (pounds)	Body Weight (pounds)	Withers Height (inches)	Withers Height (inches)
1	131	154	31	32
2	177	205	32	34
3	223	256	34	36
4	269	307	36	38
5	315	357	37	39
6	360	407	39	41
7	405	457	40	42
8	450	506	41	43
9	494	554	42	44
10	538	602	43	45
11	581	650	44	46
12	624	697	45	47
13	666	743	46	48
14	707	789	46	48
15	748	834	47	49
16	787	878	48	49
17	826	922	48	50
18	864	965	48	50
19	901	1007	49	50
20	937	1049	49	51
21	972	1089	49	51
22	1006	1129	50	52
23	1039	1168	50	52
24	1070	1206	50	52
25	1101	1244	51	53

Data from the National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project (1991-92). Heifers in this survey had an average age at first calving of 27. 6 ± 1. 8 months. Recommended ranges represent the 50th to 67th percentile. Percentiles describe the percentage of observations that fall below that level.

U.S. Holsteins Weight by Month of Age

Table 1. Body weight [BW] (pounds) and withers height [WH] (inches) of U.S. Holstein heifers as measured in the National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project (1991-92). For each age, percentile data1 are presented to show the range of performance observed. Recommended ranges are between the 75th and 95th percentiles.

Age (months)	BW 5th	BW 25th	BW 50th	BW 75th	BW 95th	WH 5th	WH 25th	WH 50th	WH 75th	WH 95th
1	82	102	119	136	143	29	30	31	33	33
2	113	149	161	189	238	30	32	33	34	37
3	149	182	211	234	284	31	34	35	36	38
4	189	234	258	284	339	33	35	36	38	40
5	218	275	311	339	411	34	37	38	39	42
6	266	320	369	422	480	36	38	40	41	44
7	301	369	422	468	542	37	40	41	43	45
8	330	422	468	530	603	38	41	43	44	47
9	379	468	530	596	705	39	42	43	45	47
10	422	517	575	653	776	41	43	45	46	49
11	445	556	638	712	776	42	44	46	47	49
12	504	596	682	760	843	43	45	47	48	51
13	504	660	728	809	913	43	46	47	49	51
14	542	697	776	878	1026	44	47	48	50	52
15	582	744	843	931	1067	43	47	49	51	53
16	653	826	913	988	1096	46	48	50	51	53
17	682	860	931	1026	1191	46	49	50	52	54
18	744	895	969	1066	1191	47	49	51	52	54
19	776	913	1007	1086	1279	48	50	51	52	54
20	776	950	1066	1170	1302	47	50	51	53	57
21	792	988	1086	1191	1372	48	50	52	54	56
22	843	1026	1148	1235	1420	49	51	52	54	57
23	809	1066	1148	1279	1420	49	51	53	54	57
24	776	1026	1170	1301	1545	48	52	53	55	57

Average age at first calving 25. 9 ± 0. 1. Percentiles show the percentage of observations that are below that level. For example, 25% of the cows of a certain age weighed less than the value in the 25th column. One half of the observations are below this value and the other half are above it. This is called the 50th percentile.

Table 2. Recommended range of hip height and width for Holstein heifers.

Age (months)	Hip Height (inches)	Hip Height (inches)	Hip Width (inches)	Hip Width (inches)
2	36.0	39.5	7.0	8.0
4	39.0	42.0	9.0	10.0
6	42.0	44.5	11.0	12.0
8	44.0	47.0	12.5	13.5
10	46.0	49.0	13.5	15.0
12	48.0	51.0	15.25	16.5
14	49.5	52.5	16.5	17.5
16	51.0	53.5	17.5	18.5
18	52.0	54.5	18.5	19.5
20	53.0	55.5	19.25	20.25
22	53.0	55.5	20.0	20.75

Data compiled from U.S. and Pennsylvania Holsteins. Range represents the average and 1 standard deviation above the average.

Table 1. Recommended range of body weight and withers height for Jersey heifers.

Age (months)	Body Weight (pounds)	Body Weight (pounds)	Withers Height (inches)	Withers Height (inches)
1	93	108	29	32
2	122	146	30	33
3	155	177	32	34
4	183	217	34	36
5	233	278	35	38
6	259	321	36	39
7	303	362	38	40
8	335	412	39	41
9	373	436	40	42
10	391	483	40	42
11	428	499	41	43
12	471	548	42	44
13	500	571	43	45
14	535	602	44	45
15	565	640	44	46
16	583	661	45	46
17	609	696	45	47
18	639	753	45	47
19	651	769	46	47
20	698	813	46	48
21	719	827	47	48
22	758	860	47	49
23	760	878	48	49
24	790	893	48	50

Data from the National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project (1991-92). Heifers in this survey had an average age at first calving of 24. 9 ± 1. 8 months. Recommended ranges represent the 50th to 67th percentile. Percentiles describe the percentage of observations that fall below that level.

Early Weaning Beef Calves

FAQ

How much does a calf weigh at 6 months?

I estimated that 200-pound calves turned on rangelands at the beginning of the grazing season weigh approximately 475 pounds at the end of 6 months. 10 Based on this information, I deter- mined the midpoint of calf growth to be a 338-pound calf (9.7 pounds forage consumption/day).

How old is a 700 lb calf?

Calves are weaned from their mother’s milk at about 6 to 10 months of age when they weigh between 450 and 700 pounds. These calves continue to graze on grass pastures.

How much does a weanling calf weigh?

Although it depends on location, nutrition, and genetics, a good calf weaning weight should be around 50% of its mother’s body weight or between 500 and 700 pounds.

How much does a 6 month old Holstein heifer weight?

The six month old heifer is usually fed silage, hay, and grain. These heifers may also graze (eat grass) in a pasture. Holstein heifers weigh about 400 pounds at this age. Dairy farmers want their Holstein heifers to gain 1.6 to 1.8 pounds each day.

How much does a calf cow weigh?

Beef cows can weigh up to 3500 lbs (1500 kilograms), while dairy cows can weigh up to 2200 lbs (1000 kilograms). Calf cows are much smaller than beef and dairy cows and weigh only between 65 and 90 lbs (30-40 kg).

How much does a calf weigh at birth?

Let’s say a calf weighs 70 pounds at birth. And, it gains 2 pounds a day. And it weighs 100 pounds.. How old is it? I get 15 days old.. A few years ago I regularly weigh taped all my calves every 2 weeks.. Some would grow in spurts, and some had very steady growth..

How much does a beef cow weigh at slaughter?

At slaughter, most cows weigh between 900 and 1,350 pounds, but the exact weight depends on the customer’s demands. It’s important to keep in mind that not all cows are slaughtered at maturity. Some clients prefer more tender meat, which is most likely taken from calves.

How much does an Angus beef cow weigh?

When the Angus beef cow is only six months old, it often weighs between 450 and 550 pounds. Mature heifers often grow to be between 800 and 1,400 pounds. Other beef cows, such as the Shorthorn, are even heavier than the Angus. Likewise, the weight of male beef cows is a lot higher than the female counterparts.