Are they ready?

[georgiabob]

These heifers were born last November. Would you breed them
In January based on these pictures? The yellow cow is the mother of the paint and the black cow is the mother of the dark brindle.

 

[Logan52]

I have some similar heifers, mine were born in January. I plan to breed them in late April or May. If the market recovers, I may sell them while they are still open.

 

[1982vett]

Local guy here turns in February 14....

 

[georgiabob]

I have some similar heifers, mine were born in January. I plan to breed them in late April or May. If the market recovers, I may sell them while they are still open.

Prices have crashed here but aren't quite back to pre covid.

 

[TCRanch]

Maybe? Have them pelvic measured. And then use a calving ease bull. I turn out my heifers when they're 15 months, but 14 shouldn't make much difference and they look to be in good condition.

 

[Warren Allison]

These heifers were born last November. Would you breed them
In January based on these pictures? The yellow cow is the mother of the paint and the black cow is the mother of the dark brindle.

I'd wait til April-May. because they'd be older, and I'd rather have a February calf than a September calf.

 

[georgiabob]

I'd wait til April-May. because they'd be older, and I'd rather have a February calf than a September calf.

February is usually the coldest month we have and we get a lot of rain. Bred in January I'd expect October calves. That's usually dry weather and gives them a month to put a little fat on before the first frost.

 

[Dave]

I always tried to breed heifers at 800 pounds. One of the rules of thumb is to breed at 2/3 the mature weight. I wanted cows to weigh 1,200.

 

[Travlr]

February is usually the coldest month we have and we get a lot of rain. Bred in January I'd expect October calves. That's usually dry weather and gives them a month to put a little fat on before the first frost.

Assuming from your name that you're in Georgia, how cold does it get there?

Our calving season in South Dakota was late January to mid-March so they were born on frozen ground and there were less chances of navel ill or parasites.

 

[Logan52]

We get wet cold here but I also like my calves born early, mid January and February, If the weather is bad I put the cow up in an old well bedded tobacco barn. I think I get less scours than those born in the more traditional muddy March. The calves are ready to take off when grass comes on in April.
By late August they sell well off the cow and weigh in the mid 600s.
I always hesitate to give advise for every place is different. But that has been my way since 1972, I did not get rich but the farm is paid for.

 

[Travlr]

Cold rain and wind have done more harm to calves than anything else in my own experience.

 

[georgiabob]

Assuming from your name that you're in Georgia, how cold does it get there?

Our calving season in South Dakota was late January to mid-March so they were born on frozen ground and there were less chances of navel ill or parasites.

Last year we had a couple of nights in single digits but that's rare. The problem is it can be cold and raining for a couple of days then hit upper 70's to 80 a couple of days after that.

 

[georgiabob]

We get wet cold here but I also like my calves born early, mid January and February, If the weather is bad I put the cow up in an old well bedded tobacco barn. I think I get less scours than those born in the more traditional muddy March. The calves are ready to take off when grass comes on in April.
By late August they sell well off the cow and weigh in the mid 600s.
I always hesitate to give advise for every place is different. But that has been my way since 1972, I did not get rich but the farm is paid for.

I only keep a few cows. This is the first year I've synched the cows up. I usually have some around November and some Around April.
I'm ready to have a calving window and late fall just works better for me.

 

[Little Joe]

After my ordeal last year having a calf born in 0 degree -20 windchill from a cow that was supposed be 2nd period when bought 2 weeks before I don't want anything born between late November-Mid March. And I'm not a fan of mid June-mid September due to heat and bugs.

 

[Travlr]

Last year we had a couple of nights in single digits but that's rare. The problem is it can be cold and raining for a couple of days then hit upper 70's to 80 a couple of days after that.

I can see where that would be hard. It must be enough different than Arkansas that you need different timing. In Arkansas we calved the same as SD.

 

[georgiabob]

After my ordeal last year having a calf born in 0 degree -20 windchill from a cow that was supposed be 2nd period when bought 2 weeks before I don't want anything born between late November-Mid March. And I'm not a fan of mid June-mid September due to heat and bugs.

2 years ago I had some in December and it was around freezing but it was also windy and raining. One was having her first calf and I had to get it lined up and started. Another was a Brangus that didn't clean up for about a week and i worried about that wet nasty placenta basically wicking cold and who knows what else into her.
The one that needed an assist jumped a fence and got bred back 39 days after she calved. The dark brindle is her calf.
The one that didn't clean up got sold.

 

[Warren Allison]

Assuming from your name that you're in Georgia, how cold does it get there?

Our calving season in South Dakota was late January to mid-March so they were born on frozen ground and there were less chances of navel ill or parasites.

Last year, I never had to bust ice in the horses' water troughs. Year before that..one time. We might get snow a day or two, but it is usually melted by afternoon. Never have I ever had any problem with Jan and Feb calves, Or foals. But June-Aug births? Flies, skeeters, gnats, ticks and fire ants! But really, you can calve anytime around here, That's why so many people leave the bulls in all year.

 

[georgiabob]

I'm below Macon and we were still having frost into April this year. It was in the teens around Christmas for several days. Then again a few times in February. Flies and gnats are almost a year round this here. I was feeding Sunday and swatting gnats. We had a couple of pretty hard frosts mid week and it was in the upper 60's today.
Some years heavy rain will move in around now and hang out until March or April. My day job is in construction sales and long stretches of rain are bad news.

 

[wbvs58]

Yes.

Ken

 

[Ky hills]

I'm having the same question with sone of mine. I have some October and November yearlings and a couple purchased summer calves that would be old enough now but I'm leaning towards waiting till May, so they would be in line with my spring calvers. I have let sone get bred at 12-13 months because it was just a few and didn't want to deal with a few odd calves in a separate place.
It's turned out ok, but have had some issues in the past with heifers bred at 13 months. 15 months is ideal to me, and 14 months is fine in my experience too.
This year we will not have any spring calves until March. Generally, I have started calving in February. The weather here is a big unpredictable variable. Sometimes February is actually drier and better than March, then February is usually cold and can yield cold rains, snows, or ice and definitely not a good situation if you have calves coming in one of those spells. Most years it comes in spells like that a few decent days then a colder, or precipitation event and if calves are coming there's a decent chance some will come during both the good and bad.
We've had to bring several to the barn over the years. I will say though that my best doing calves are usually the February born ones, seems like April and beyond just don't do as well. May-August is generally my sorriest calves and flies are a major problem then and I try to avoid June-August calves at all costs, and prefer not to have December and January calves either weather wise.