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Breeding / Calving Issues
Heifer problems - what is it this year?
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<blockquote data-quote="Katpau" data-source="post: 1742934" data-attributes="member: 9933"><p>Birth weight is definitely affected by weather during the last months of gestation. Here in SW Oregon our winters are not particularly cold but they are usually very wet. From December to February, it gets down near freezing most nights, but daytime temperatures are usually in the mid 40's to low 50's. That is not cold by most people's standards, but those temperatures are often accompanied by rain and sometimes sleet, making it feel miserably cold. My birth weights would often average in the high 80's to mid 90's. Even most of the heifers had calves in the 80+ pound range, although it was extremely rare for one to need assistance. This winter was warmer than usual and we had almost no rain. It seemed like it was sunny and pleasant almost every day. I just calculated my average, and this year's average birth weight was 76.7 pounds. That is 11 pounds lighter than 2019, a colder year that included almost two feet of snow in February. </p><p></p><p>I know that won't explain your issue, since you said the calves were not bigger than usual. I have heard that the daughters of calving ease bulls will sometimes have smaller pelvic measurements and can thus have more difficulty with even an average size calf. That could be one of the dangers of using calving ease bulls for multiple generations.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Katpau, post: 1742934, member: 9933"] Birth weight is definitely affected by weather during the last months of gestation. Here in SW Oregon our winters are not particularly cold but they are usually very wet. From December to February, it gets down near freezing most nights, but daytime temperatures are usually in the mid 40's to low 50's. That is not cold by most people's standards, but those temperatures are often accompanied by rain and sometimes sleet, making it feel miserably cold. My birth weights would often average in the high 80's to mid 90's. Even most of the heifers had calves in the 80+ pound range, although it was extremely rare for one to need assistance. This winter was warmer than usual and we had almost no rain. It seemed like it was sunny and pleasant almost every day. I just calculated my average, and this year's average birth weight was 76.7 pounds. That is 11 pounds lighter than 2019, a colder year that included almost two feet of snow in February. I know that won't explain your issue, since you said the calves were not bigger than usual. I have heard that the daughters of calving ease bulls will sometimes have smaller pelvic measurements and can thus have more difficulty with even an average size calf. That could be one of the dangers of using calving ease bulls for multiple generations. [/QUOTE]
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Heifer problems - what is it this year?
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