About Average or Late

[SPJ]

I have a cow that calved on 9/18/2012. I had her AI'd on 12/14/2011. I have had a tail patch on her for the last 45 days. I have been checking her morning and evenings. She is in standing heat tonight, which would be just a little over a year since her last heat. Would she be considered about average as far as her cycle or would she not be considered a keeper? Thanks, Phil

 

[Bigfoot]

I would keep her.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

She is running late. She calved 9/18/2012. A cow in good condition at calving should come back into first heart about 30-45 days after calving.
Your cow (if this IS her first heat - and probably is since you said she had a patch for the past 45 days) took 98 days. That would be cutting it close in a herd that has a specific calving season. We expect out cows to be bred & calve within a 60 day season. Our breeding season starts almost the exact same date each & every year.
If your cow is bred today (and CONCEIVES), she will be due about 10-8 - so, if she continues to take 100 days to come into heat - she will be out of range.
If she is a 2-yr old and this is her first calf, then that is not totally unusual. That's one of the reasons you always read how it is recommended to calve your heifers early in the season (if not 2 weeks prior to the cows) because it may take them longer to breed back.
I wouldn't be looking to cull her just yet. There are a lot of reasons for a cow not to be fertile - body condition, hard calving, age.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Some of mine calve every 10 1/2 months.

Your cow could have cycled just weeks after she calved but was not exposed.

 

[SPJ]

BigFoot - I really do want to keep her.

Backhoeboogie - I do not have a bull, I take them to get AI'd and I was sure glad to find out about tail patches.

Jeanne - Grace is one of my favorites but she was starting to worry me. This was her second calf. Her first was a heifer born on 5/19/11. Because of the heat here in 2011 my vet told me to wait until Fall to try and breed her, as a matter of fact, she came into standing heat on Thanksgiving day, so we had to wait until her next cycle to have her AI'd. I have been pretty lucky with my vet, he is really good. He settled all my cows the first time. So after her next calf if it takes her longer than 12-13 months would you ship her? She calved both times while I was at work, but when I checked her that evening everything was fine. I have included some pictures and would appreciate your opinion and others on her condition. Thanks, Phil

 

[SPJ]

Sorry, here's the pictures.

 

[BC]

I don't know if it was just me, but I detect a slight red tinge to the hair in the crop area (topline just behind the shoulders). This is an indication of copper deficiency . If I might ask, what mineral do you keep out? What is the copper level in it? I try to use one that has at least 2000 ppm. A good mineral program will help your cows rebreed on schedule.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Sometimes a 3-yr old can be the hardest ones to get bred, because they can be the thinnest at calving. They are in my herd. My 2-yr olds are in great shape when they calve & get rebred but by the time they wean off their calf, they are my thinnest. They recoop some of their weight thru winter, but are still my thinnest when they have their 2nd calf.
Whether she stays in your herd, simply depends on if you don't care when your cattle calve. There is no law that she has to have a calf every 12 months. Just good management.
I calve spring & fall. I have been know to slide one into the next season, but that gives them a bad strike against them. 2 Strikes your out around here.

 

[Chris H]

I was just going to say what Jeanne said. My 3 year olds are also the thinnest of any group at rebreeding time in our herd.

Check your mineral & worming program. I'd keep her another calving and she'll probably cycle quicker next time.

 

[SPJ]

Thanks for your replies!

I weighed her 11/5/12 and she weighed 1340 pounds. I've been taking her to the vet twice a year for shots and to get her wormed. Up until the Spring of this year I used mineral blocks, but because of the articles on this form I switched to Purina Wind & Rain All Season 12 Complete. It has 1200.0 PPM copper in it.

Thanks,
Phil

 

[pdfangus]

Phil

you are doing good....keep up the good work....
also keep heeding the good advice....
it is tough to run an all AI program.....especially on observed heats.
I would suggest a good synchrony program to jump start the cows into heat....

my choice would be the michigan 6G6 presynchrony program....it is the one I have the best results with....

also not all cows show a heavy full blown heat...some of them just seem to be low key a lot of the time...seems to be mostly the more timid cows and the quieter ones.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Whether she stays in your herd, simply depends on if you don't care when your cattle calve. There is no law that she has to have a calf every 12 months. Just good management.
I calve spring & fall. I have been know to slide one into the next season, but that gives them a bad strike against them. 2 Strikes your out around here.

Better a good cow that calves a little late, than a poor cow that calves on time. :nod:
I have a couple that calve "out of season" but at weaning time their calves fit right in with the rest.
Am I a poor manager?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No, my wording was poor. If you are striving to maintain a 60 day calving season, it's poor management to let one slide into the next breeding season - like what I said I do occasionally.
And I agree on the quality of the cow. Some of my cows could skip a year (or two :shock: ) and owe me nothing. I think long & hard before I cull - hard to replace most times.

 

[cow pollinater]

On a grade cow, breed her. Then next year you can sync her and get her started a little earlier and have a few chances to move her back in time with the rest of the herd.

 

[SPJ]

Thanks again for all of your help.

One last thing about Grace - her first calf was born on 5/19/11. I had her AI'd on 8/1/12. The vet checked her and she settled the first time. She weighed 948 pounds on 11/5/12.

Phil

 

[Floyd]

Please educate me on the purpose of the plywood after the headgate?

 

[brihop]

I don't know if it was just me, but I detect a slight red tinge to the hair in the crop area (topline just behind the shoulders). This is an indication of copper deficiency . If I might ask, what mineral do you keep out? What is the copper level in it? I try to use one that has at least 2000 ppm. A good mineral program will help your cows rebreed on schedule.

You think that red tinge could be the clay off another cow riding her?

Edit/Add: Or the clay off her own muzzle when she reaches back to lick/scratch her itches?

 

[SPJ]

brihop - I don't think the red tint is clay.

Floyd - In the beginning when we built the alley, I just had a head gate and after using it a few times and seeing how much power the cows really have, I cut it out and sold it. We installed a squeeze chute and I purposely left that gap thinking it would be easier to work the cattle. After working them, I move them up, weigh them and load them on to a trailer. When I run the small calves through the alley, they were able to escape, so I put the plywood up for a quick fix. Thanks, Phil

 

[SPJ]

brihop - You're right and I was wrong. When I went to feed tonight the red was almost gone. I guess it was some of that good old Oklahoma red clay. Thanks, Phil