Keep Birth Dates

ELDON COLE

MT. VERNON, MO.

   I imagine most of you keep a pretty decent record of what cow had a calf on a given date. In the last year or so, it seems beef repro specialists target to have about two-thirds of your calves born in the first 21 days of the calving season. That means your bulls need to be ready to go on the first day of the breeding season.

   Of course, the other critical part of the puzzle is the females as they need to be cycling at bull turnout. As a rule this will happen if the cows are in a 5 or 6 body condition score and first-calf heifers are at least a 6 BCS. The recent cold spell and the fact that many were short of hay you may be faced with slow cycling cows and heifers this year.

   I encourage you to increase the energy intake of your cattle so you don’t sacrifice too many days on getting your cows bred back. Cows that breed back in the first 21 days this year will help boost herd weaning weights by roughly 40 pounds per head on those calving early next year versus those calving in the second and later 21-day period. ∆

   ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri