AF Ranch
Active member
I am located in SW Missouri........what should be my ideal month to calve? Please provide brief explanation.....Tks.
Ideal calving month?
- Thread starter AF Ranch
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I don't live in Missouri, but I like October/November calves better than any of the rest. Cold enough to kill most of the bugs but not too cold. Many folks calve in the spring and I will agree it is more insynch with nature, but I have more health issues with spring calves.
cfpinz
cfpinz
end of Feb-mid march for me. The calves have missed all the real bad weather, for the most part. when they are a couple months old there will be good green grass for them to eat. The mothers also have fresh green grass to eat to help provide with milk production. by the time it gets real hot the calves should be close to be weaned and ready to go onto a growing feed.
Susie David
Well-known member
We like to calve in March...starting to warm up a bit...no more below zero nights and no bugs. Still get the girls that like to drop under a tree in the snow but we do try to have them in the calving pen or the barn....
Really don't like fall calving as we can get some nasty weather quickly and it can be hard on new calves and it takes a couple of good frosts to get rid of the flys.
The market is strong for early spring calves ready for fresh pasture.
Just my two bits worth....Dmc
Really don't like fall calving as we can get some nasty weather quickly and it can be hard on new calves and it takes a couple of good frosts to get rid of the flys.
The market is strong for early spring calves ready for fresh pasture.
Just my two bits worth....Dmc
certherfbeef
Well-known member
The ideal calving month should be based on your local market and your facilities.
Set around the sale barn you plan to market your calves at. Watch the seasonal prices. Watch for the time that the prices are consistently higher. Shoot for that time to have weaning age calves.
If you have the facilities to be able to work cattle year round, thru mud and snow...then the market will determine your calving month.
The rest of it is personal preference. I'd rather winter dry, bred cows than than wet, bred cows and mess with the calves.
Set around the sale barn you plan to market your calves at. Watch the seasonal prices. Watch for the time that the prices are consistently higher. Shoot for that time to have weaning age calves.
If you have the facilities to be able to work cattle year round, thru mud and snow...then the market will determine your calving month.
The rest of it is personal preference. I'd rather winter dry, bred cows than than wet, bred cows and mess with the calves.
denoginnizer
Well-known member
I would consider how much it cost me to get a calf to weaning weight not just the time when the market will be the highest . For example , if I get 650 dollars for a calf thats great but I carefully watch how much money I have to invest in the calf to get 650. Hay and protein will get into your profit quickly.certherfbeef":153ebfhz said:
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
If you have winter forage, fall calving is good. By the time the spring grass is out, they are ready for it.
If you don't have winter grasses, spring is best.
If you don't have winter grasses, spring is best.
SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE
Well-known member
Feb - March is best for me. ;-) :cboy:
Gale Seddon
Well-known member
We're anticipating several in November this year, and I'm not thrilled (less daylight and can be nasty cold rain) but thankfully they're all mature cows (there's the kiss of death, just saying that out loud) and I wrote down the breeding dates (yeah, I watched) so I know when to start keeping an eye on them. Will probably move them to smaller pasture by the house in October.
But I think I prefer March and April, it's not too hot then, not too many flies yet, and grass is coming in good.
But I think I prefer March and April, it's not too hot then, not too many flies yet, and grass is coming in good.
MoGal
Well-known member
Depends on what your environment is like. If you got good pasture, can rotate them and not have to feed a lot of hay/grain then fall calving (sept to nov) is best I think.
Prices in MO are higher in the spring (latter March, April) as the boys who buy at teh salebarn have pasture to run them on.
Fall prices drop.
August and December are the worst times to sell, here in MO from what I have seen.
Now the hubby to be is able to get corn from the family farm and grinds it himself and feeds his cattle and he gets alfalfa hay from the family farm as well. However putting our cows together has doubled the herd so I doubt we'll be feeding alfalfa hay this winter. We've got 16 heifers to start calving in Dec/Jan so they might be able to get some.
If you have to buy grain out of the sack then you need to spring calve so they can grow as the grass does. If you have hay/grain available then fall calving is better as they will be ready to wean come spring when the prices jump.
Prices in MO are higher in the spring (latter March, April) as the boys who buy at teh salebarn have pasture to run them on.
Fall prices drop.
August and December are the worst times to sell, here in MO from what I have seen.
Now the hubby to be is able to get corn from the family farm and grinds it himself and feeds his cattle and he gets alfalfa hay from the family farm as well. However putting our cows together has doubled the herd so I doubt we'll be feeding alfalfa hay this winter. We've got 16 heifers to start calving in Dec/Jan so they might be able to get some.
If you have to buy grain out of the sack then you need to spring calve so they can grow as the grass does. If you have hay/grain available then fall calving is better as they will be ready to wean come spring when the prices jump.
holly heifer
Well-known member
March 
Friend of mine calves spring and fall. Says the bottom line is the same. Higher prices in the spring are offset by higher costs to get them raised to selling weight. Spring calves bring less but the costs are lower. He does it so he doesn;t have all of his eggs in one basket.
We calve late feb through the end of march. Calves are big enough to help keep the spring flush under control and very little hay is needed between calving and the start of the regrowth in the pastures.
The last 3 years or so we've fed more hay during june through august then all of the winter.
dun
We calve late feb through the end of march. Calves are big enough to help keep the spring flush under control and very little hay is needed between calving and the start of the regrowth in the pastures.
The last 3 years or so we've fed more hay during june through august then all of the winter.
dun
