when do you think is the best time

[plbcattle]

What do you feel is mother natures time for calving. When do you feel that before all the synchronization and breeding, when do you feel mother nature intended cows to calve and why?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

this is going to be a little religous. but GOD gave man dominion over cattle,he would know the best time to calve in his area. if it were left up to mother nature just the strongest would survive. calving year round depending on the cows condition when she bred back she might have one calve in the spring and her next in the dead of winter... but im gonna say spring . ;-)

 

[BAGTIC]

I don't believe 'Mother Nature' has a time for calving because she doesn't have a time for breeding.

Animals that have a specific birthing time normally have very limited estrus cycles, someimes only once or twice a year. Sometime the cycle only lasts a single day or less. Ihave heard that porcupines are only fertile for four hours, once a year.

Cows cycle all year long. This may because cattle are so adaptable to a wide variety of habitats, climates, etc. that no one pattern would be optimal for all animals everywhere. It may be because their origins were tropical/subtropical where the time of year did not matter.

What time of year did 'Mother Nature' intend for humans to birth?

 

[bigbull338]

What do you feel is mother natures time for calving. When do you feel that before all the synchronization and breeding, when do you feel mother nature intended cows to calve and why?

boy you asked a sticky question.as for mother nature an cows breeding yes nature controls it.if a cow has a big calf sucking on her takes longer to breed back.if its to hot in the summer.that also affects the cows ability to breed back.nutriion affects her ability to breed back.but talking about nature.cows would breed back quicker in the spring an summer.because they have the grass to get them to breed back.

 

[Cowdirt]

Ihave heard that porcupines are only fertile for four hours, once a year.

Well now Bagtic, if I had to mate with a porcupine I think four hrs. would be more than enough.

 

[dun]

The buffalo calved during one part of the year or so I've been lead to believe. The calving corresponded to the spring grass. I would think that cows would normally calve on about the same cycle. But it would differ for cows in the frozen north to the sunny south. The buffalo migrated while cows are pretty much tied to one location in the sense of migration

dun.

 

[Aero]

Kit Pharo says May because that is when a lot of the wildlife (deer, etc) give birth. early spring is too barren and if a coyote is looking for something to kill, the cow laying down in the snow is much easier than anything else at that time. during early summer/late spring the wildlife arent as hungry on average and there are lots more targets at that time.

i am sure he would have a better reasoning than i do, but this is what i remember from our discussion of calving season.

just a thought.

 

[dun]

Kit Pharo says May because that is when a lot of the wildlife (deer, etc) give birth. early spring is too barren and if a coyote is looking for something to kill, the cow laying down in the snow is much easier than anything else at that time. during early summer/late spring the wildlife arent as hungry on average and there are lots more targets at that time.

i am sure he would have a better reasoning than i do, but this is what i remember from our discussion of calving season.

just a thought.

One of the problems with calving in May is the high heat in some areas when breeding would have to take place. That's where the environmental aspect rears it's ugly head. Around here the tree squirrels are born in February, that sure doesn;t strike me as being the best time, but apparantly Ma Nature does.

dun

 

[Beefy]

probably coinciding with the spring flush or sometime around in there. but keep in mind that ma nature doesnt give a hoot if they calve every year and doesnt wean at 6 months so it can really fluctuate.

 

[KNERSIE]

Most wildlife over here gives birth late winter early spring. Most farmers in extensive summer rainfall regions also abide by this policy wanting the lambs or calves to grow with the veld.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Kit Pharo says May because that is when a lot of the wildlife (deer, etc) give birth. early spring is too barren and if a coyote is looking for something to kill, the cow laying down in the snow is much easier than anything else at that time. during early summer/late spring the wildlife arent as hungry on average and there are lots more targets at that time.

i am sure he would have a better reasoning than i do, but this is what i remember from our discussion of calving season.

just a thought.

may in my area would'nt be the ideal time. with summer coming on. and summer slump poorer forage the heat when the calf is demanding more moma aint at her best. but the pharo likes to get shed of em at around 350.00 pounds anyway

 

[Roadapple]

Bagtic asked when "Mother Nature" intended for humans to birth. I always figured about 9 mos. after a cold spell.

 

[Limomike]

I would think it would depend on if the cattle were wild (like dun said about the buffalo) or as they are now (penned up).
Since most are under management of us humans, its all up to us as to when we have them bred. As far as when the best time is for any wild animal.... anytime

 

[Aero]

Kit pt this out in an email 2 days ago

Short Memory --



I have been visiting with several burned-out ranchers who are in the middle of calving -- winter calving. I have also been reading many articles describing all the troubles some poor, unfortunate ranchers are having this calving season –- winter calving.

To be honest with you, I am having a difficult time feeling sorry for all these poor, unfortunate ranchers. However, I do feel sorry for their cows and newly-born calves. Winter calving is inhumane -– and it should be stopped!

According to a study that was done several years ago in Wyoming , the weaning weight difference between calves born in February and calves born in June was only 43 pounds. What do you think it costs to produce those extra 43 pounds? I guarantee it will cost a lot more to produce those extra 43 pounds than they can be sold for.

Several ranchers who moved from winter calving to May/June calving say their individual weaning weights are lower –- BUT they are actually weaning MORE TOTAL POUNDS because they have much less sickness and death loss. Because individual weaning weights are smaller -- their calves are worth MORE PER POUND. MORE TOTAL POUNDS that are worth MORE PER POUND! Calving in sync with nature will also drastically reduce your feed costs and labor costs. Folks, this is a NO-BRAINER!

Unfortunately, by the time most ranchers get to their traditional bull turn-out date, they will forget about all the troubles they had with winter calving. Next winter, they will have no one to blame but themselves. As we head toward the bottom side of this cattle cycle, I expect a lot of these short-memory ranchers to go broke. Once again, they will have no one to blame but themselves.

i am not saying he is right and i disagree with him on some of his basic concepts. just giving the other side.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

well in my area we have to take advantage of the poorer quality forage. while its at least at its peak. and there would be a bigger weight differance than 43 pounds in the calves at weaning to. also i like my cows ready to go into winter in good condition.

 

[alabama]

This is just one observation: An old lady that lives close to me has left her bull in the pasture year round for well over 20 years. I get to see the cattle as I often put out hay for her when one of her sons are not around which is most of the time. She sells a few cows and keep some heifers but does not separate them. So, the heifers are bred as soon as they cycle. The only feed they get is hay in the winter.
Most of her calves are born around Dec. Jan.
I would suspect that is due to the cows starting to cycle when the spring grass starts to green up which also puts the calves at about 3 to 4 months of age at spring green up.
This would correspond with a 9-month gestation that put cows calving 3 months before the best nutrition is available in that climate. If you assume that cows do not cycle very well when nutritional levels are low.
This is just a guess. What do y'all think?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

gonna have to do some diggin. but i remember something about lush grass at peak protien levels interfering with cycling causing cows not to stick seems like simm/jeanne was talking about it

 

[Aero]

This is just one observation: An old lady that lives close to me has left her bull in the pasture year round for well over 20 years. I get to see the cattle as I often put out hay for her when one of her sons are not around which is most of the time. She sells a few cows and keep some heifers but does not separate them. So, the heifers are bred as soon as they cycle. The only feed they get is hay in the winter.
Most of her calves are born around Dec. Jan.
I would suspect that is due to the cows starting to cycle when the spring grass starts to green up which also puts the calves at about 3 to 4 months of age at spring green up.
This would correspond with a 9-month gestation that put cows calving 3 months before the best nutrition is available in that climate. If you assume that cows do not cycle very well when nutritional levels are low.
This is just a guess. What do y'all think?

natural migration would not have his problem as badly. however, that is the best modified "ma nature" result i have heard.