There are many practices that pay dividends for a commercial cow-calf operation, one of which is having a short calving season. Having calves in a short window has many bonuses including concentration of labor and a higher-value calf crop. Achieving a short breeding season is the result of optimum management of heifers, cows and bulls, as well as taking advantage of technologies like artificial insemination (AI).
A short calving season allows a producer to make best use of their labor. A long calving season will wear a producer down, but with a tight calving season, a producer can realistically employ more intensive checks of the calving cows and heifers. The end result is more saved calves, and a higher percent calf crop weaned.
A tight calving season will also significantly increase the value of the calf crop when they are marketed. Without the tail-end light calves, a producer will market more total pounds for a higher gross. The calves will also be more uniform, which will result in them being more desirable to buyers. This uniformity allows the ability to group calves into larger lots, which are worth more per cwt.
Making it happen
Achieving a short calving season starts with the heifers. Heifers first must be on an adequate plane of nutrition to ensure they are cycling. Most experts recommend they should be between 55 to 65 percent of their expected mature body weight. As most producers have selected for increased growth, they are also seeing the weight of their cow herd go up. Therefore, a ration that was adequate 10 years ago may not get the heifers to a desired weight today.
Challenging heifers to a short breeding season will allow a producer to identify females that are the most fertile. Heifers that breed early are also more likely to have been from early-calving cows, which are a producer’s most fertile females. These heifers from early-calving cows also have more time to reach a desired weight, which increases the likelihood they are cycling.
Using AI on the heifers will generally pay big dividends. When heifers are synchronized, they are grouped at the beginning of the breeding season. Heifers that calve at the beginning of the breeding season will result in mature cows with a higher probability of breeding early. Generally, synchronizing heifers will give them two chances to get bred in as short as a 30-day breeding season.
Labor is generally the limiting factor for commercial producers AIing their heifers. However, almost all the bull studs offer turnkey service to synchronize and AI heifers and cows, which puts AI in the reach of most all operations. The bull stud people who handle large herds’ calendars fill up quickly in the spring, so it is important to contact them as early as possible to develop a plan.
Heifers having calving difficulty will need a longer post-partum interval before they are ready to breed as 2-year-olds. However, with AI, a producer can breed to the top bull(s) in a breed for calving ease, while still having sires with excellent growth. Most of all, they can choose from high accuracy sires to help assure minimal calving difficulty.
It is also important that both cows and especially first-calf heifers have adequate post-partum nutrition. Another key is to have an excellent health program and parasite control. Designing an optimum nutrition and health program will also pay dividends in earlier cycling, more fertile females.
Bulls matter too
It is also important to make sure bulls are ready to breed a large number of cows in a short window. Keeping them in an optimum body condition score is the first place to start in preparing bulls for breeding season.
Bulls should also have adequate exercise to assure they are in shape to travel and breed cows. Keeping bulls in shape can be as easy as having their water on the opposite side of the lot from where they are fed. If possible, it is good to winter them on the same type of ground they will be breeding on, to assure they don’t get sore footed.
It is also critical to conduct a breeding soundness exam (BSE) on all bulls you plan to turn out. Turning out bulls with suboptimal breeding soundness will result in disappointing breed up of the herd. Conducting BSE is especially important this year for the many producers who have experienced unprecedented cold weather this winter. This kind of weather can result in bulls that won’t pass their BSE. If this is found out early, replacement bull(s) can be purchased.
Having a short breeding season will improve revenue for all commercial cow-calf operations. It makes better use of labor and results in a more valuable calf crop. The steps to achieve this are in the reach of all producers and include having a ration with adequate nutrition, as well as a top health program.
AI should be considered by all operations at least on the heifers. Also, bulls should be in shape and have passed a BSE to make sure they are ready to cover the cows and heifers in the desired short breeding season. It all comes down to having a plan, which is well thought through prior to breeding season, and will assure the desired outcome. — Dr. Bob Hough, WLJ correspondent
