BRAFORDMAN
Well-known member
It was for the past 3 years not 4(stated in th eother post) that we have been going from calving year round to timing our cattle.
Here is how our operation was ran and how it is being ran. Some of my numbers are exact and some are estimates. Some things in the post some will not agree with.
Any suggestions for the future are welcome.
Thanks BRAFORD
past-2000 Cows calved year round
2001- old cows were sold new herds of cattle were added that calved in a more timely fashion. One herdusually calved in the fall another in the spring but bull was in all year.
08-The two herds got smaller(some older cows sold and some dies of old age) and eventually went to about 20 head who all calved around the same time. Cows were exposed to a bull all year and 30 home raised heifers went with a bull in June. The cows that were exposed to the bull all year would all calf in a 90 day window with a few late or early calvers.
09- We lost some of the older cows in the winter of 08,some was old age and some were from acorns(COws would go down and vomit. the next day the were gone). The old herd went to about 12 head(Gert crosses, black baldies and brangus baldies) bred to our braford cross bull. A set of brangus heifers(some yearlings and some 2 year olds(They were not bred but the deal we got on them was very good(Yearlings 350 a head and the breeding age heifers(17 months and up) 450 a head).)) were added winter of 08. The brangus heifers went with a black angus bull in april-late september. 2 of those were bred and we did not know it one calved the winter of 08 teh other in march.
The bull that went with the 30 head of heifers in 08 turned out to be stunted and bred 11 of my heifers(a handful may have been to young but the majority had been seen cycling). 12 calves were born from march-September from that group. All of our heifers were developed on grass and salt only with an occasional protein tubs none were ever pushed. We sold 5 head of the open heifers for disposition problems or they did not grow well. I bought a red angus plus bull and he was with the cows from march-September. This was the year i decided to go to a timed calving season. Last calve was born august 22. And the red angus plus bull was pulled first week of september.
In November a 12 head of bred herefords(exposed to a bull all year before we purchased) were added and the old cows were sold.
All heifers and cows were bred that year except for a heifer who calved three weeks before I pulled the bull and teh brangus who calved in march who raised 3 calves(one who's mother was struck by lightning and one who just stole milk because his mom did not milk heavy,plus her own calf) I didnt put any of these calves on her she let them nurse on her own. She stayed in good shape but raising 3 calves caused her not to cycle. The heifer that calved 2 weeks before i pulled the bull bred back and another heifer who calved three weeks before i pulled the bull bred back.
10- The herefords started calving in November of 09.The older brangus and the 24 head of homeraised heifers and first calvers started calving in january.
Bulls went out in march. Out of about 50 head 20 had not calved the 1st of march. I had 13 heifers from 09 that they stunted bull did not breed. They calved within the first 3 weeks of march.(The red bull took care of business when those heifers cycled). The younger brangus heifers we bought did not calve until june and a few of the herefords we bought calved during the summer.I left the bulls in with all of the cows until October to give the late calvers a chance to breed back.
The beggining of October we decided to have our cows palpted(We had before we just assumed all the cows were bred). The vet was not our usual vet. Ours did not work on weekends which was the only time we could have about 50 head checked. He called 16 of the cows open. 6 were the first calvers that calved in June. It was very hot last summer(well we thought that until this year) and grass was kind of short and those 6 had trouble keeping up because the were younger.They were not skinny but the ywere not fat either. Some of the other cows he said were open I had seen the bull breed during the summer.
We got 150 rolls of hay that year and you can't feed 50 head of cows plus horses with 150 rolls from November-march with 150 rolls. So we had to sell half of the cows.
The herefords were bought registered and i would be selling them at a loss since the only had one calf so i kept them. I also kept the brangus that raised the best calvers and some of the home raised heifers and cows that raised the best calves. I did not keep based on what he said was open or bred late. I kept based on the cows calf raising ability.
I am glad i kept based on that reason. Som eof the cows that he said were open that i sold were called by teh vet at the sale barn to be 3-4 months bred.
5 cows from the ones i kept were open and they were herefords so i decided to put my angus bull with them in November and pulled him the first of December before calving started.
I kept a few calves from that year(hereford and crossbred) and i had a few other fullblood breeds i had bought that year that i kept .We made it throught the winter.
10/11 calvign season/2011- I had one cow that I bought in 2010 calve in November the rest of the cows started calving 12-30-10.
1 of the cows i kept was called in October by the "bad vet" to be 1 month bred. She calved in January which made her 6 months bred in October. He was 2 months off on some of the cows when i check the date they calved and what he called them in October.
With the exception of the cow that calved in November. I got 15 calves from 12-30-10 to 3-3-11. I had 2 calves born in april the cow i posted last week calved in July and I got a calf from one of the herefords last week meaning my angus bull bred her in November.
In June I had my cows vaccinated for the 1st time. Yes we did not vaccinate our cattle in the past we just dewormed them. We have never had a problem before with our cattle's health that came from diseases, but I knew vaccinating should be done so we started this year. We had our cows palpated by our regular vet.
The majority of the cows and heifers were 3 months bred a few were 1-2 months bred and 5 were open and I had few that were heavier bred. 2 of the cows had had calves about 5 weeks before hand, 2 heifers that the bull was after a week before and I was sorting cows and did not get to tell the vet that they didnt need to be checked. A few cows he called a few weeks bred, wether that is possible to call them that I do not know but he said they were. I pulled the bulls that same week. I should have pulled them before checking but i was confident that my cows had bred back already.
So next year most of my cows and calves will calve in 60 days with a few late ones who will still calve before the bull is put in . The ones that were heavier bred and that have calved or are bagging up now wil be held over. I sold the open cow that should have been bred back and the two heifers. If my cows stay in good conditon and grass is good all of my cows should breed back in 60 days next year.
Our cows are separted into groups. We have 10-15 head in a group in one pasture with a bull in each one. Cows stay in shape and can graze that pasture all year,vs having all our cows together and have to move them every month to a new location. This year we ahd about 4 groups and a bull in each one. 2 groups were for producing commercial calves. One was for produing purebred calves. And the other was for a british white crossbreeding group.
And from this year and in the future all of my cows will be vaccinated
Here is how our operation was ran and how it is being ran. Some of my numbers are exact and some are estimates. Some things in the post some will not agree with.
Any suggestions for the future are welcome.
Thanks BRAFORD
past-2000 Cows calved year round
2001- old cows were sold new herds of cattle were added that calved in a more timely fashion. One herdusually calved in the fall another in the spring but bull was in all year.
08-The two herds got smaller(some older cows sold and some dies of old age) and eventually went to about 20 head who all calved around the same time. Cows were exposed to a bull all year and 30 home raised heifers went with a bull in June. The cows that were exposed to the bull all year would all calf in a 90 day window with a few late or early calvers.
09- We lost some of the older cows in the winter of 08,some was old age and some were from acorns(COws would go down and vomit. the next day the were gone). The old herd went to about 12 head(Gert crosses, black baldies and brangus baldies) bred to our braford cross bull. A set of brangus heifers(some yearlings and some 2 year olds(They were not bred but the deal we got on them was very good(Yearlings 350 a head and the breeding age heifers(17 months and up) 450 a head).)) were added winter of 08. The brangus heifers went with a black angus bull in april-late september. 2 of those were bred and we did not know it one calved the winter of 08 teh other in march.
The bull that went with the 30 head of heifers in 08 turned out to be stunted and bred 11 of my heifers(a handful may have been to young but the majority had been seen cycling). 12 calves were born from march-September from that group. All of our heifers were developed on grass and salt only with an occasional protein tubs none were ever pushed. We sold 5 head of the open heifers for disposition problems or they did not grow well. I bought a red angus plus bull and he was with the cows from march-September. This was the year i decided to go to a timed calving season. Last calve was born august 22. And the red angus plus bull was pulled first week of september.
In November a 12 head of bred herefords(exposed to a bull all year before we purchased) were added and the old cows were sold.
All heifers and cows were bred that year except for a heifer who calved three weeks before I pulled the bull and teh brangus who calved in march who raised 3 calves(one who's mother was struck by lightning and one who just stole milk because his mom did not milk heavy,plus her own calf) I didnt put any of these calves on her she let them nurse on her own. She stayed in good shape but raising 3 calves caused her not to cycle. The heifer that calved 2 weeks before i pulled the bull bred back and another heifer who calved three weeks before i pulled the bull bred back.
10- The herefords started calving in November of 09.The older brangus and the 24 head of homeraised heifers and first calvers started calving in january.
Bulls went out in march. Out of about 50 head 20 had not calved the 1st of march. I had 13 heifers from 09 that they stunted bull did not breed. They calved within the first 3 weeks of march.(The red bull took care of business when those heifers cycled). The younger brangus heifers we bought did not calve until june and a few of the herefords we bought calved during the summer.I left the bulls in with all of the cows until October to give the late calvers a chance to breed back.
The beggining of October we decided to have our cows palpted(We had before we just assumed all the cows were bred). The vet was not our usual vet. Ours did not work on weekends which was the only time we could have about 50 head checked. He called 16 of the cows open. 6 were the first calvers that calved in June. It was very hot last summer(well we thought that until this year) and grass was kind of short and those 6 had trouble keeping up because the were younger.They were not skinny but the ywere not fat either. Some of the other cows he said were open I had seen the bull breed during the summer.
We got 150 rolls of hay that year and you can't feed 50 head of cows plus horses with 150 rolls from November-march with 150 rolls. So we had to sell half of the cows.
The herefords were bought registered and i would be selling them at a loss since the only had one calf so i kept them. I also kept the brangus that raised the best calvers and some of the home raised heifers and cows that raised the best calves. I did not keep based on what he said was open or bred late. I kept based on the cows calf raising ability.
I am glad i kept based on that reason. Som eof the cows that he said were open that i sold were called by teh vet at the sale barn to be 3-4 months bred.
5 cows from the ones i kept were open and they were herefords so i decided to put my angus bull with them in November and pulled him the first of December before calving started.
I kept a few calves from that year(hereford and crossbred) and i had a few other fullblood breeds i had bought that year that i kept .We made it throught the winter.
10/11 calvign season/2011- I had one cow that I bought in 2010 calve in November the rest of the cows started calving 12-30-10.
1 of the cows i kept was called in October by the "bad vet" to be 1 month bred. She calved in January which made her 6 months bred in October. He was 2 months off on some of the cows when i check the date they calved and what he called them in October.
With the exception of the cow that calved in November. I got 15 calves from 12-30-10 to 3-3-11. I had 2 calves born in april the cow i posted last week calved in July and I got a calf from one of the herefords last week meaning my angus bull bred her in November.
In June I had my cows vaccinated for the 1st time. Yes we did not vaccinate our cattle in the past we just dewormed them. We have never had a problem before with our cattle's health that came from diseases, but I knew vaccinating should be done so we started this year. We had our cows palpated by our regular vet.
The majority of the cows and heifers were 3 months bred a few were 1-2 months bred and 5 were open and I had few that were heavier bred. 2 of the cows had had calves about 5 weeks before hand, 2 heifers that the bull was after a week before and I was sorting cows and did not get to tell the vet that they didnt need to be checked. A few cows he called a few weeks bred, wether that is possible to call them that I do not know but he said they were. I pulled the bulls that same week. I should have pulled them before checking but i was confident that my cows had bred back already.
So next year most of my cows and calves will calve in 60 days with a few late ones who will still calve before the bull is put in . The ones that were heavier bred and that have calved or are bagging up now wil be held over. I sold the open cow that should have been bred back and the two heifers. If my cows stay in good conditon and grass is good all of my cows should breed back in 60 days next year.
Our cows are separted into groups. We have 10-15 head in a group in one pasture with a bull in each one. Cows stay in shape and can graze that pasture all year,vs having all our cows together and have to move them every month to a new location. This year we ahd about 4 groups and a bull in each one. 2 groups were for producing commercial calves. One was for produing purebred calves. And the other was for a british white crossbreeding group.
And from this year and in the future all of my cows will be vaccinated
