Calving

Gather App
Here in southeast Texas I like to start 1st of December. By the time they are eating grass the spring grass is growing . .
 
I've been trying to move mine up to Jan. Feb might be better but were generally wetter in feb then jan. Calving in May is nice but my forage quality seems to be dropping when the calves ought to really be taking off.
 
Also they aren't breding in July and August. My earlier born calves have been closer together. I really feel breeding conditions played a factor in that.
 
I like February 1 to May 1 and then September 1 thru December 1. I leave the Charolais and Angus bulls in year round. But for the Brahman I will pull out the bull December 20 thru May 1.
 
The cow will consume about 50% more feed in her last month of gestation than her calf will in it's first 4 months of life (grass, I'm talking about) so cow's needs are paramount. Around here (Central IL) that means letting her graze new grass from mid-March till late April and calving late April thru end of May.
Otherwise buy expensive hay and supplements and when the new grass comes along the calves will be standing in it while they nurse! When a May born calf is really beginning to graze, the cool season grasses are making a comeback (September). This is ranching in sync with nature!
Unless you have excellent quality stockpiled grass there is no good reason to calve any other seasons but spring and fall.
 
City Guy":3v4i8zte said:
The cow will consume about 50% more feed in her last month of gestation than her calf will in it's first 4 months of life (grass, I'm talking about) so cow's needs are paramount. Around here (Central IL) that means letting her graze new grass from mid-March till late April and calving late April thru end of May.
Otherwise buy expensive hay and supplements and when the new grass comes along the calves will be standing in it while they nurse! When a May born calf is really beginning to graze, the cool season grasses are making a comeback (September). This is ranching in sync with nature!
Unless you have excellent quality stockpiled grass there is no good reason to calve any other seasons but spring and fall.
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Are you speaking from experience in calving "Around here", or just what you believe people from "Around here" do?
 
City Guy":4v949uy7 said:
The cow will consume about 50% more feed in her last month of gestation than her calf will in it's first 4 months of life (grass, I'm talking about) so cow's needs are paramount. Around here (Central IL) that means letting her graze new grass from mid-March till late April and calving late April thru end of May.
Otherwise buy expensive hay and supplements and when the new grass comes along the calves will be standing in it while they nurse! When a May born calf is really beginning to graze, the cool season grasses are making a comeback (September). This is ranching in sync with nature!
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Great post. Except you forgot to discuss the forage needs of the cow when lactating. So, many folks would argue that the ideal way to be in sync with nature would be to have the calf standing in all the new grass while they nurse - the point you appear to mock. Books are great things when used wisely.
 
City Guy":2iogxyww said:
The cow will consume about 50% more feed in her last month of gestation than her calf will in it's first 4 months of life (grass, I'm talking about) so cow's needs are paramount. Around here (Central IL) that means letting her graze new grass from mid-March till late April and calving late April thru end of May.
Otherwise buy expensive hay and supplements and when the new grass comes along the calves will be standing in it while they nurse! When a May born calf is really beginning to graze, the cool season grasses are making a comeback (September). This is ranching in sync with nature!
Unless you have excellent quality stockpiled grass there is no good reason to calve any other seasons but spring and fall.
Click to expand...


Also important to note that based on your individual operation, it may not be the best economic decision to be in sync with nature. And, sadly, we are in this for the money.
 
I 'm pretty sure most producers around here don't do it that way. I mention it and support it because it MAKES SENSE and for no other reason. Where is the cheap, high quality grass for the lactating cow in February, if you are so concerned? If you have to feed expensive hay ( or cheap hay for that matter) wouldn't you rather feed it during the first 7 months of gestation than the last two? Or better yet wouldn't you rather not have to feed it at all? Thousand of producers from all parts of the world are able to stockpile enough grass that they seldom need to feed any hay. That is THEIR EXPERIENCE and it works. Wouldn't you rather have a calf born on a warm bed of fresh grass than in a cold, sloppy, mud lot filled with manure and urine? If you want it that way go ahead, but IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
And as for economic considerations, how many calves have to be lost before any economic gains are wiped out? I don't know the statistics, but you all probably do. How many calves (proportionately) are lost in May verses February? Your winter born calves may be worth more or weigh more but what did those pounds cost you? Anybody who grows or manufactures anything knows that production and profit are not the same thing. Often there is only a vague correlation between them.
And remember money you don't spend is paid in advance, is 100% profit and tax free!!
 
If you all are going to continue to belittle my "book learnin" I am going to start berating your experience. The books, blogs and websites I have learned from (including this one) were written by cattle producers, with no exceptions. Some of what I read did not make sense or jibe with what science I already knew and I dismissed it. I have spent many years pawing through thousands of writings, and not believing everything I read. I look for ways to NOT DO things, Like not vaccinating if possible, or not feeding hay, especially my own, if possible. Stockpiling MAKES SENSE, bailing hay doesn't. Maybe it isn't always possible to do it that way but it is a goal worth pursuing. Mob grazing and stockpiling should be the norm, not the exceptions.
Remember, just because you were there during an event doesn't make it a value learning experience. Many of you say you have XXX years experience, but do you really? Maybe it was the same year repeated XXX times. Be honest, except for trying a different bull of a new fly spray or some such thing, was this year much different than last year or the year before that? If you can tell me that you instituted a genuinely new policy, test, measurement, or other program I will be happy to listen and learn from you. But if you keep doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result I'm not much interested. Around here such people are called Cub fans!!
 
For all your reading, studying and research you still haven;t seemed to learn one thing. There is NO silver bullet. What will work in one areas, climate, environment won;t always work in another.
 
I know that, but when someone says that, I want to know exactly why. Otherwise it sounds like a cop out. Might as well answer with "cuz"! I'd rather you said "I'm not willing to discuss it" or I'm not going to share that information with you."
I don't mean to offend, I really don't, but cliches like "there is no silver bullet" and "no two situations are the same" are replies of the weak and unprepared. If you don't know the answer please just say so!! If you don't want to answer then don't post a reply!! I did not join this group just to be told again what every adult on the planet has known for thousands of years.

BTW I have read success stories of both mob grazing and stockpiling in every region of USA, some in Canada, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They are becoming all the rage!
 
Ideal for me is April to June. I just finished summer calves had 6 born last 2 weeks. These cows calved early fall last yr. They all moved up 2 months this yr and if all goes smooth they will calve in June next yr. I don't mind summer calves they typically do fine. I had a heifer that left her newborn in the sun all day last week, she was lethargic and overheated when I found it. I tubed some electrolytes and next day put calf back with mom and she is fine. I actually have less problems in summer compared to winter or early spring . wild temp swings makes them snotty and breathe hard.
 
This fall I will calve beginning September 15, and End October 31. I am moving my current group of spring calving cows to fall. I will breed all my cows beginning Thanksgiving and ending January 31, 2017.

I don't have a bull. I breed on natural heats with on the farm Artifical Insemination.

I decided this year to go to the one Sept/Oct calving season. That allows breeding at a time of year when the estrus cycle is more pronounced. It also gives the calves a couple months of nice fall weather before winter. I have excellent pasture so my cows go into winter well conditioned even over-conditioned. I have medium quality hay and my cows do well raising big calves during the months of January, February and March when I feed hay. I use high quality mineral and will put out protein tubs if necessary.

We usually start getting grass by mid March. That allows the calves a good start on grass before and during weaning.
 
We typically start calving at the very end of February through March. It didn't happen this year, but in years previous, we have gotten a few inches of sleet at the very beginning of March. It is not fun calving in that weather! Soaking wet newborn calves, strong winds, and sleet can be stressful on newborns. We had one heifer calf get very minor frostbite on her ears; you have to really look at her closely to see it. When we AI, we aim for March 10th. There typically aren't sleet storms after the first week of March around here.
Determining when you want to calve depends on your location and ultimately, how you want to manage them. By calving in the fall, your calves will be able to better utilize the rush of spring growth. The drawback (which may be minimal, depending on where you are) is that you may have to feed lactating cows through the winter. By calving in the spring, you avoid the inclement weather and the cold and your cows and calves will benefit from the quality spring and summer forages. The drawback to calving in the spring is that your bulls will be breeding your cows during the heat of the summer. The heat can reduce the fertility of the bulls. There are pros and cons to calving at both times of year. You just have to determine which is best for your environment and management system.
 
City Guy":2c2bcq05 said:
I know that, but when someone says that, I want to know exactly why. Otherwise it sounds like a cop out. Might as well answer with "cuz"! I'd rather you said "I'm not willing to discuss it" or I'm not going to share that information with you."
I don't mean to offend, I really don't, but cliches like "there is no silver bullet" and "no two situations are the same" are replies of the weak and unprepared. If you don't know the answer please just say so!! If you don't want to answer then don't post a reply!! I did not join this group just to be told again what every adult on the planet has known for thousands of years.

BTW I have read success stories of both mob grazing and stockpiling in every region of USA, some in Canada, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They are becoming all the rage!
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I would suggest you get out and actually do instead of talk. What worked in the desert of california where it takes 300 acres a pair on range won;t work in tennesee or florida. What works there won;t work in the desert. Pasture is different than range, grazing fescue is different than grazing other grasses. A number of dairyman came to missouri from wisconsin and were going to teach these hillbillys how to dairy. The ones that moved to this county have all left except one. He's raising horses and mules now.
 

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