calving dates

[regenwether]

Just wondering when people here calve. I'm in Iowa, normally I calve in February. This year with the cold it is kicking me in the butt! I'm thinking serious of going to March 15.

Years ago we had quite a scour problem. Seemed like we get e-coli taken care of then comes roto-virus then cloustrium. One day the vet was getting perplexed with my problem and suggested I try to calve in February. He said frozen ground is cold but clean. I've been getting along fine but after this winter I'm thinking of pushing it later.

I guess my question is two fold. Your calving date and what is the average temp when you do it??

 

[rRandel]

In southwest IA start calfing Feb 20 hope to have it wrapped up by end of april Ive always said i like calving on frozen ground vervus mud but this year has been colder than i can ever remember so well see what happens. Before this year i was going to push for starting Feb 1 but now im reconsidering that Lol

 

[Backbone Ranch]

We calve during late February and through March. We put our bulls in May 15. The temperature ranges from 40-70 degrees here. It changes year to year.

 

[plumber_greg]

We are in the same area, just different states. I calve Feb. 1. I like the advantage of my calves being 250 to 300lbs on turnout to grass on May 1. HOWEVER, I am getting older and rethinking things. I don't want to calve in the mud of March. Seen the mud in Feb. enough times that I don't like it. March is warmer weather, just a different set of problems. We could back it up all the way to May1, but we would pay for it when we sell in the fall.
I am thinking instead of smaller calves in the fall, due to calving later, why not just go to fall calving. Aug. 15 is a good time to calve. Night are cooler, days are hot. I only have 25 or so fall calvers right now, but gotta' admit, the only thing I do when I get off work is drive in the pasture and count how many were born that day.
There is increased costs for us to fall calve, but the costs of later calving, IMO, will offset those costs. The heat of the summer is harder on a 150lb calf than a 300lber. Also, we can't keep the later spring calves to sell at acution till like July, cuz' they're closed.
The best would be if someway I could have the energy I had at 35.
My current plan is to sell the heifers I would normally calve in Feb. around the first of the year as breds, and right now buy fall calving 2 or 3 yearolds. Should be able to buy the fall calvers cheaper than I could sell the spring calvers. Goin' broke, ain't I . gs

 

[regenwether]

I have a fall herd as well. Yes I love it.
Moving the calving date later will give me lighter calves in the fall however I'll just plan on market them a month or so later so hopefully I won't lose much on the selling weight.

 

[jerry27150]

north central Missouri, I try to start calving between march 20th to april 1st. like them to be born about the time grass is greening up, less scours & other diseases then. keep calves til next feb or march

 

[randiliana]

We are due to start Mar 1 to Apr 15 or so. Temperatures can range here anywhere from -30 C to +15 C or so. Last year was really cold, I think we had almost every pair either born in the barn or end up there pretty quickly after they were born. This year's starting out just as cold. But we've had many years where we hardly had to use the barn. I consider moving calving back, but then I remember the April snow storms we get, and how our bigger calves handle them no problem, while the guys calving hard then have nothing but problems. Plus if we went later we'd have issues getting cattle out to pasture since all of our summer pastures are quite a ways from home.

 

[plumber_greg]

Jerry, ain't many scours and diseases in the cold of Feb. either. Lots more in the mud of Mar. and April.

 

[Nesikep]

We start march 10th, the sun clears a mountain to our west giving us about 5 hours more sun, which is really good for the babies... If we were on the sunny side of the river, we'd move it forward a couple weeks. We're pretty dry (usually), and from mid march onward you're unlikely to have mud for any length of time... You do get gusty spring winds though. Typical temps around here are about -5C to 10C in the shade, but probably 25C in the sun

 

[Cowpuncher]

Hey fella's calving in late Feb and March is a good idea in southern Iowa, this year is certainly a pain, but I have still had more problems with mud than cold. :cboy:

 

[regenwether]

I can calve in the cold. In fact I'm sure I'll have some born tonight and it is suppose to be around -10 below. I have calving pens. Tonight I'll have about 15 hd. locked up. What I absolutely hate is those cows that slip by you. They don't spring up or show much of an udder and have a calf outside. That does not work. I'm really hard on myself when that happens. Not the poor cow's fault. I turned the bull out. :roll:

 

[jerry27150]

greg, I used to have them year around. ones I had in winter would always get scours or pneumonia after a cold wintry rain

 

[Aaron]

Spring calving this year is April 29 to June 21. Fall calving is August 19 to October 11.

I was late in pulling bulls from spring herd and late putting in and pulling, in the fall herd.

I prefer May 1 to June 1 and August 10 to September 10.

During those times of the year it hovers between 60-70F with 10 degrees plus or minus. As long as I can wear a T-shirt, I am happy.