The Cost of Late Calvers

 

Pounds of beef sold is a key number for cattlemen. Late calvers the cows that drag out the calving season, may cost producers more than extra work and management, they may actually be costing dollars.

Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) has been around for decades. This tool helps determine what the actual costs to raise a calf from breeding to weaning. Many producers create a budget for marketing and financing purposes, but SPA calculates the real, final costs. Use of both tools provide the opportunity for producers to evaluate the accuracy of the budget they created and also looks for problem areas in the operation.

 

One area of analysis provided by SPA is calving interval. Based on 21-day cycles, the calving interval determines the age of the calf at weaning and correlates to the size (pounds) of calf sold at weaning. For example, compare two herds, with varying calving intervals (Table 1).

 

Both herds begin calving April 1st, with 200 head calved, and there were no death losses reported.

 

Based on similar situations Herd 2 even while receiving less on a per pound basis, returned $6,059 more than Herd 1, due to changing the average calving date and thus, the total weight sold.

 

 

With a large percentage of the cows calving within a narrow time frame, cattlemen will be busy tending to cows as there will be a larger number of calves born per day during this window. However, the labor requirements for calving season will be much narrower as the main need is 42 days in the Herd 2 example. After calving, time can be spent on other projects of the operation (ex. Crops planning, haying, etc.).

 

Bull power, either through artificial insemination (AI) or natural service needs to be considered. Both require additional costs for the operation. In order to narrow the calving interval a synchronization protocol will typically need to be utilized. This requires labor to move cows through the chute multiple times for the synchronization protocol and then again to AI the cows, as well as for heat detection if timed-breeding is not utilized.

If AI is not utilized, additional bulls will need to be raised or purchased to adequately cover the number of cows cycling at the same time. More owned bulls will result in additional feed costs and space to house them during the non-breeding season months.

 

Calving a larger number of cows than before at one time may require the adaption of facilities to house the cows during their last weeks of gestation as well as cow-calf pairs.

 

Cattlemen may also want to consider when they calve if they plan to narrow their calving season. Changing from April 1st to May 1st calving may allow for cows to be calved on pasture, without as much weather or mud risk. This change should take into consideration other activities on the operation during May, and if everything can be appropriately managed following the change.