Weekend Breeding Only ?

[Stocker Steve]

Have a 2 year old virgin bull that was turned out in a single sire pasture with heifers and first calvers. Seemed to settle the females but the calving dates are clustered - - no calves for 4 to 6 days, followed by three to five calves in a cluster, then no more calves for 4 to 6 days...

Was he only working part time, or were the girls throwing parties on the weekends?

 

[Buck Randall]

Have a 2 year old virgin bull that was turned out in a single sire pasture with heifers and first calvers. Seemed to settle the females but the calving dates are clustered - - no calves for 4 to 6 days followed by three to five calves in a cluster, then no more calvers for...

Was he only working part time?

If he missed any they wouldn't come around until 21 days later, so you can't blame him. Ask the ladies why they're only in the mood a couple of days a week. That should go well.

 

[TCRanch]

Not unusual, even for my cows, not just heifers. Weather patterns seem to have an impact; I always seem to have a cluster of calves right before a front.

 

[VaCowman]

Unless they were synchronized, I'd say this is normal.

 

[jschoolcraft86]

Not unusual, even for my cows, not just heifers. Weather patterns seem to have an impact; I always seem to have a cluster of calves right before a front.

I've noticed the same thing. I wondered if it was due to lower pressure, kinda like how fish get more active when there's low pressure.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I do get a flush of calves before a front, but then one breeding herd continues to trickle new calves and the other does not. Do heifers tend to self sync?

 

[SBMF 2015]

A vet I know told me he had a client that was new to raising cattle. The vet stopped by one Monday morning and the client was sorting off his bull. When the vet asked what was wrong the client proudly stated that he only wanted the cows to calve on the weekends when he was home from work to watch them. LOL!
The vet said after he regained his composure they had a long talk about breeding dates and heat cycles.

 

[TCRanch]

I do get a flush of calves before a front, but then one breeding herd continues to trickle new calves and the other does not. Do heifers tend to self sync?

Not sure about that but all my heifers get a shot of Lutalyse when they're weaned so they're pretty much in sync. I calve 'em out in the barn so I'll have a bunch of calves within a span of a few days then nothing for another few weeks. Not necessarily 21 days, though. Heifers seem to calve a little earlier and especially if they have a heifer calf (bulls take longer to cook).