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David Davis
21262 Genoa Road
Linneus, MO 64653
Phone: 660 895-5121
FAX: 660 895=5122
Email:
DavisDK@missouri.edu
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April 1, 2002
Forage Systems Update
Vol 11, No. 2
Consider 45-day Calving Season
Toward the end of calving season, most folks get tired of waiting on those last few cows to calve. Especially when there is other work they need to be tending to. One way to get rid of the tailenders in a 60 or 90-day calving season is to shorten the calving season to 45 days. At FSRC we had operated on a 60-day calving season for over 20 years before switching to 45-day seasons in 1996. The long term conception rate in the spring herd was 93% with about 85% calving in the first two cycles. Waiting an extra three weeks for those last few cows lowered our efficiency so the decision was made to shorten the season. In the transition year, we culled the late calving cows. Since we made the change, conception rate has remained near the same. This spring over 90% of our 194 spring calving cows have calved within the first 30 days of the season.
Besides labor efficiency, tight calving seasons offer several other advantages. A tight calving season selects for cows with higher natural fertility and will help the overall productivity of the herd. Cows and heifers in the herd all reach peak lactation in a tighter bunch and pasture or feeding management can be better tailored to fit the herd's needs. Calf management at weaning is easier because calves are more similar in size. When marketing time comes, a more uniform bunch of calves can be presented to the buyers.
While the switch from 60 to 45-day season can be made in one season, particularly if a high percentage of cows are calving early in the season, you may want to make the shift over a few years by shaving off a week each year. If your cows are calving in a much longer season it will take awhile to bring them into a tighter bunch. We were able to bring the herd into the 45-day season without using estrous synchronization. You might consider culling to either side of your target season and buying cows that better fit the window. However you choose to do it, a shorter calving can help the efficiency of your beef operation.
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