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<blockquote data-quote="randiliana" data-source="post: 727238" data-attributes="member: 2308"><p>Well, it would depend some on what cows you are looking at. The more mature cows 5+ usually are in pretty decent condition. The younger ones, and most especially the first calvers rarely are in super condition.</p><p></p><p>They go down quite a bit in late summer, because of our grass and climate, and I wouldn't say that it is much different than anyone else's cattle around the area either. Most of our grass is crested wheat, which while it is a great grass in the spring, just doesn't stand up well to the summer heat. Especially since July and August tend to be pretty dry as well. If we get rain in late Aug or Sept, it will green up again though. So, you've got cows that are raising big calves, right about when the grass is starting to dry off, and nutrient levels are dropping. And the cows stay on this til late September. Our calves overall avg about 575 lbs. Heifer's calves probably in the 525-550 range.</p><p></p><p>Now, as to why they are putting weight on, there's several reasons. First off, we've been pulling all the replacement heifer calves off around the 20th of Sept to the first of Oct. Takes quite a burden off those cows. Then, they go onto fall grazing about the same time, this year some of our fall grazing was swathed CPS wheat, and all the cows that still had calves on them went onto this. And grain puts weight on them. The cows that were weaned went to a different pasture, which was pea stubble and native grass. So, combined with the fact that they are no longer nursing, they are getting some peas and native grass, which holds its nutrient value much more than tame grasses do. Once we weaned the steer calves, all the cows went over to the pasture which had the swath grazing. Which they grazed for about another month. Then we tubground for them which included about a 2:2:1 ration of Hay:CPS wheat/Kochia:straw. So they have been getting a bit of grain ever since.</p><p></p><p>Here's what our year looks like:</p><p></p><p>Mar 1 - start calving</p><p>Apr 15-20 - grass is starting to get long enough to graze</p><p>Apr 30 - done calving</p><p>May 1-10 done feeding, cows are vaccinated, calves are vaccinated, ivomeced and branded</p><p>May 1-10 - cows go to pasture 2 hours away(crested wheat) or we put them on the hay fields(Alfalfa)</p><p>May 25 - June 1 - Cows go out to rented pasture, (native grass)</p><p>May 28 - Bulls go out</p><p>May and June are when we get most of our rain - 6-8" if we're lucky</p><p>July/Aug rain comes as Thunderstorms, so pretty hit and miss. Grass is starting to brown off pretty good.</p><p>Sept might get enough rain to green the pasures up again.</p><p>Sept 20- Oct 1 - Weigh calves and wean heifers</p><p>Sept 20-Oct 1 - cows from first pasture come home. Go on to either swath grazing on cleaning up pea field.</p><p>Oct 10 - rest of cows come home, weigh/wean remaining heifers.</p><p>Oct 25ish - steers are weaned and sold, all cows are put together to clean up swath grazing</p><p>Late Oct/Early Nov - cows are pregchecked and Ivomeced</p><p>Nov - finish fall grazing</p><p>Dec 1 - tub grind</p><p>Late Jan - tubground feed finished and we will start rolling hay out til the cows come home </p><p>Feb 20 - cows home for calving again. Tubgrind at home for the cows sorted into the maternity pasture. Continue roling bales out for the 'not so close' calves. Now most of the feed that is fed will be straight Alfalfa.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="randiliana, post: 727238, member: 2308"] Well, it would depend some on what cows you are looking at. The more mature cows 5+ usually are in pretty decent condition. The younger ones, and most especially the first calvers rarely are in super condition. They go down quite a bit in late summer, because of our grass and climate, and I wouldn't say that it is much different than anyone else's cattle around the area either. Most of our grass is crested wheat, which while it is a great grass in the spring, just doesn't stand up well to the summer heat. Especially since July and August tend to be pretty dry as well. If we get rain in late Aug or Sept, it will green up again though. So, you've got cows that are raising big calves, right about when the grass is starting to dry off, and nutrient levels are dropping. And the cows stay on this til late September. Our calves overall avg about 575 lbs. Heifer's calves probably in the 525-550 range. Now, as to why they are putting weight on, there's several reasons. First off, we've been pulling all the replacement heifer calves off around the 20th of Sept to the first of Oct. Takes quite a burden off those cows. Then, they go onto fall grazing about the same time, this year some of our fall grazing was swathed CPS wheat, and all the cows that still had calves on them went onto this. And grain puts weight on them. The cows that were weaned went to a different pasture, which was pea stubble and native grass. So, combined with the fact that they are no longer nursing, they are getting some peas and native grass, which holds its nutrient value much more than tame grasses do. Once we weaned the steer calves, all the cows went over to the pasture which had the swath grazing. Which they grazed for about another month. Then we tubground for them which included about a 2:2:1 ration of Hay:CPS wheat/Kochia:straw. So they have been getting a bit of grain ever since. Here's what our year looks like: Mar 1 - start calving Apr 15-20 - grass is starting to get long enough to graze Apr 30 - done calving May 1-10 done feeding, cows are vaccinated, calves are vaccinated, ivomeced and branded May 1-10 - cows go to pasture 2 hours away(crested wheat) or we put them on the hay fields(Alfalfa) May 25 - June 1 - Cows go out to rented pasture, (native grass) May 28 - Bulls go out May and June are when we get most of our rain - 6-8" if we're lucky July/Aug rain comes as Thunderstorms, so pretty hit and miss. Grass is starting to brown off pretty good. Sept might get enough rain to green the pasures up again. Sept 20- Oct 1 - Weigh calves and wean heifers Sept 20-Oct 1 - cows from first pasture come home. Go on to either swath grazing on cleaning up pea field. Oct 10 - rest of cows come home, weigh/wean remaining heifers. Oct 25ish - steers are weaned and sold, all cows are put together to clean up swath grazing Late Oct/Early Nov - cows are pregchecked and Ivomeced Nov - finish fall grazing Dec 1 - tub grind Late Jan - tubground feed finished and we will start rolling hay out til the cows come home Feb 20 - cows home for calving again. Tubgrind at home for the cows sorted into the maternity pasture. Continue roling bales out for the 'not so close' calves. Now most of the feed that is fed will be straight Alfalfa. [/QUOTE]
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