Small herd and calving question

[Flatbroke]

It seems to me that with a small herd of cattle and a small ranch that you could just run the bull with the cows year arround. When the cow comes back into heat after calving she could be covered on the first cycle, in the end over enough years it seems the cow could possibly produce one extra calf this way. That is the way most hog ranches are run why not cattle? I understand most setups have farming etc to do and time is of the essence for them but I am retired and can watch them close. Winter could be a problem but even up here in Montana they are calving in Jan or Feb. So tell me what I am missing! Fire away.

 

[Massey135]

You're not missing anything.

Uniform groups bring more but obviously if you don't have the numbers for groups, uniformity is not a concern.

Also selling year round, you won't be subjected to the price drops of the big fall runs.

I will add that I want my calving as tight as possible - If for nothing more than I think its the best way to judge individual performance within the herd.

 

[Isomade]

It seems to me that with a small herd of cattle and a small ranch that you could just run the bull with the cows year arround. When the cow comes back into heat after calving she could be covered on the first cycle, in the end over enough years it seems the cow could possibly produce one extra calf this way. That is the way most hog ranches are run why not cattle? I understand most setups have farming etc to do and time is of the essence for them but I am retired and can watch them close. Winter could be a problem but even up here in Montana they are calving in Jan or Feb. So tell me what I am missing! Fire away.

There is no correct answer. Only what is right for you. People will argue this point till they are blue in the face but it all boils down to what works best for you. I like a calving season because I don't want calves born after the first of May. Hot summer months and declining grass quality really take a toll on weaning weights. I also have more time to watch them Dec-Feb and have them all done by then so I don't have to worry about it. Those obviously aren't problems for you. I would just watch and replace any cows that don't breed back in a 12 month window.

 

[Chris H]

Here are a few drawbacks:
1. Calves of different ages will have different nutritional needs, you won't be able to time calves increasing feed needs with extra grass growth.
2. Vaccinations will have to be given at different times. You may only have 12 cows, but you'll be giving vaccinations all year long after a few years. Some cows won't get earlier, some can move 2.5 months earlier from year to year.
3. You'll be weaning 1 or 2 calves every month, instead of weaning a larger group. And you better be careful to get those heifers weaned by 6 months or you'll have to give them a shot to abort, just in case.
4. Worming might present the same problems as vaccinations.
5. Unless you band your calves, you'll be castrating several times a year.
6. Calving is stressful, do you want to do calving checks all year long?

 

[cow pollinater]

For me it's all about feed. Any of my commercial cows that calve before September first will really get run down trying to raise a calf on dry feed. If they're later than mid November then I get a scoury calf that can't use all of mom's milk. I try to have it done from sept1-oct15 on those cows.
My spring herd that I use to make my bulls doesn't matter as much. They go up the hill in late fall and come down to irrigated pasture in the spring so they can get spread out on breeding and calving without any problem other than it being a pain to keep track of.

 

[Bigfoot]

The drawbacks are obvious, especially calving in the dead of winter in your area. You are correct that some cows will will breed back in less than a year, and over a period of time they could sell one more calf than they would in a regimented program. The down side of that is they need to rest for a while. If you are talking a really small herd, like tweenty or less, it might be the best way. If its just a hobby no big deal if you castrate and work a few at a time, or sell a few at a time.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

You be suprised at how many cows will calve right around same time ever year. Some will back up some just stay right around the same time. Run the bull with your cows till the first calf is born then pull him till you want to turn him back in.

 

[Bigfoot]

Just me personally, I would pull the bull from February 15th to may 15th. Avoiding the dead of winter for calving.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I like mine to start calving in late Feb.