When is "calving season" on your farm?

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

Just curious what most folks would consider the "right" time for calving?

Thoughts?

 

[El_Putzo]

March 1 - May 1 for spring
Sept 1 - Nov 1 for fall

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I like calving around march for several reasons with spring coming on.fall i dont like calves draining on the moma during he winter months while they are on hay and trying to stay in condition. either way i believe you need a calving season.

 

[cypressfarms]

February for me, is what I would like all of my cows to calve in. The winters here are mild, to say the least, and the sooner I get calves on the ground the better. They can start gaining serious weight before it gets too hot in April, May & June.

 

[jkwilson]

Feb and first two weeks of March is my target for the naturals. Have to go as late as May sometimes with AI or embryo's. As the previous poster said, I want the calves to be grazing a little on their own before the heat of July hits and makes life harder for the cow, and then I want the cow to have a chance to graze on the fall grass after the calf is weaned.

 

[Susie David]

March & April...we have had some bought cows calve in in Feb but we usually shoot for March.

 

[ChrisB]

I used to calve in March/April. But it I didn't like dealing with calves in the mud with it always being 30-40 degrees and cloudy or raining. Also I need to ship cows to different pastures in the summer and it was always extra work sorting and hauling.

I have now switched to a Sept/Oct calving period. I have also starting feeding corn silage to the cows and limit creeping the calves. I can put up silage pretty cheap and the cows really produce the milk on it. I'm not completely sold on the creep feeding yet, but I have to pull less calves at weaning so that in my mind is worth quit a bit of the extra expense.

 

[southpaw]

Mid April to Mid June.

 

[Dave]

February and March. Last year I really thought about moving back to late March and April, but I had already turned teh bulls out. If I have another calving season like last year I will hold the bulls out until a little later and move it back.
Dave

 

[Caustic Burno]

When they hit the ground from Jan1 till Dec 31.

 

[glover36]

ours are all year round we calve when ever they come into there second heat to AI

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Thats another of the several reason i like a calving season is uniform calves. i keep a few replacments every year and i wean off in september i like my heifer to be readyto breed the following spring but this system works for my set up keeping the calving window as narrow as possible suits me :hat:

 

[Caustic Burno]

I wean a lot earlier than most as this has been a hot topic right at 400 pounds and you are salebarn bound. I see everthing as having cost to maintain soon as they leave my place they are someone else problem. This is from Crockett salebarn.

Steers: Medium and Large 1: 200-300 lbs 176.00-186.00, few to 197.50;
300-400 lbs 164.00-174.00, few to 192.50; 400-500 lbs 128.00-138.00, few to
148.00; 500-600 lbs 117.00-127.00, few to 136.00; 600-700 lb calves 107.00-
117.00, few to 122.00; 700-800 lb calves 102.00-112.00, few to 116.00; 800-900
lb calves 104.00.


I can't justify keeping a calf another 3 months to put on 300 pounds to bring example 400 pound calf at 1.64 =646 bucks
700 pound calf at 1.02 =714 bucks. My screwed up thinking has that leach off of momma 3 months earlier and leaves more grass for another one to produce.

 

[txag]

Steers: Medium and Large 1: 200-300 lbs 176.00-186.00, few to 197.50;
300-400 lbs 164.00-174.00, few to 192.50; 400-500 lbs 128.00-138.00, few to
148.00; 500-600 lbs 117.00-127.00, few to 136.00; 600-700 lb calves 107.00-
117.00, few to 122.00; 700-800 lb calves 102.00-112.00, few to 116.00; 800-900
lb calves 104.00.


I can't justify keeping a calf another 3 months to put on 300 pounds to bring example 400 pound calf at 1.64 =646 bucks
700 pound calf at 1.02 =714 bucks. My screwed up thinking has that leach off of momma 3 months earlier and leaves more grass for another one to produce.

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

 

[Victoria]

Our purebreds are starting middle of January. The commercial are starting end of February.

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

I like middle of February to the end of march....grass is coming on. ;-) :cboy:

 

[docgraybull]

March, April, and some into May and September, October, and some into November.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

24/7/365 :cboy:

 

[certherfbeef]

My heifers calve in January. Gets them done and out of the way and the calves with a couple months under their belts before the mature herd calves in March. Late april is the latest I like to see a slimy calf on this place.
I hate fall calves.

 

[la4angus]

My heifers calve in January. Gets them done and out of the way and the calves with a couple months under their belts before the mature herd calves in March. Late april is the latest I like to see a slimy calf on this place.
I hate fall calves.

And in this part of the country I love fall calves. Normally have ryegrass for the cow to graze and the calves are big enough to take all their milk and when the grass starts drying up in June the calves have already done it all, and the cows are normally bred for Fall calves again in the cool weather.

Just what's ideal for two different parts of the country.