novatech
Well-known member
Research indicates that summer-born (June-August) calves are, on average, 70 lbs. lighter at weaning than those dropped at other times of the year.Some studies have shown that 40% of the calves from herds on a year-round calving program are born in the summer. This figure indicates a tremendous economic loss resulting from summer-born calves.
A limited breeding season would eliminate this problem of summer-born calves. It also has several other advantages over a year-round program:
Money can be saved on winter nutrition. Winter feeding of the brood cow is the most expensive phase of a cow-calf operation. If some of the cows are dry and some are nursing calves during the winter, the herd cannot be fed in the most efficient manner. Cows nursing calves require at least 25% higher digestibility and 50% more protein than dry cows. So, to have either all dry cows or all nursing cows, you need a controlled breeding program.
Herd health and management is easier and cheaper. There are many jobs which are important to the health and management of a herd. Some of these practices are vaccination, castration, dehorning, deworming, and implanting. If a cattleman could perform all these jobs one or two times during the year (which he could, if he had a controlled breeding program), calves would be born at the same time (within 2-3 months); the labor and time requirement would be less than with an open breeding program, where calves are born all year long.
Culling and selection of replacement heifers based on their production is easier. Comparisons among calves are much more accurate when calves are born within a 90-120 day period. One of the main points for culling cows is the performance of their calves. Good comparisons between cows cannot be made if the calving season is all year long. Acceptable performance includes not only weaning weight, but production of a calf each 12 months. This factor cannot be easily checked under a year-round breeding program.
Marketing of calves is improved. A calf crop which is uniform in age and size can be marketed at an advantage. Large, uniform groups of calves can bring 3-5 cents per pound more than thosesold individually, or in groups with large variations in weight or breed type.
Taken from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AN023
A limited breeding season would eliminate this problem of summer-born calves. It also has several other advantages over a year-round program:
Money can be saved on winter nutrition. Winter feeding of the brood cow is the most expensive phase of a cow-calf operation. If some of the cows are dry and some are nursing calves during the winter, the herd cannot be fed in the most efficient manner. Cows nursing calves require at least 25% higher digestibility and 50% more protein than dry cows. So, to have either all dry cows or all nursing cows, you need a controlled breeding program.
Herd health and management is easier and cheaper. There are many jobs which are important to the health and management of a herd. Some of these practices are vaccination, castration, dehorning, deworming, and implanting. If a cattleman could perform all these jobs one or two times during the year (which he could, if he had a controlled breeding program), calves would be born at the same time (within 2-3 months); the labor and time requirement would be less than with an open breeding program, where calves are born all year long.
Culling and selection of replacement heifers based on their production is easier. Comparisons among calves are much more accurate when calves are born within a 90-120 day period. One of the main points for culling cows is the performance of their calves. Good comparisons between cows cannot be made if the calving season is all year long. Acceptable performance includes not only weaning weight, but production of a calf each 12 months. This factor cannot be easily checked under a year-round breeding program.
Marketing of calves is improved. A calf crop which is uniform in age and size can be marketed at an advantage. Large, uniform groups of calves can bring 3-5 cents per pound more than thosesold individually, or in groups with large variations in weight or breed type.
Taken from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AN023
