Measuring and Managing Calving Distribution

 

As cattle producers, you know the older a calf gets the heavier they are at weaning, which translates into a larger paycheck. You are paid by the pound, and calves grow on average 1.5 to 2 pounds per day while nursing the cow. Thus, as we increase the percentage of cows calving at the beginning of the calving season, you can boost the overall profitability of your herd. Research from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has proven that steers born in the first 21 days of the calving season are heavier, and thus more valuable at weaning. In addition, replacement heifers born in the first 21 days of the calving season are heavier at weaning, more likely to reach puberty prior to their first breeding season.  Even after 6 calf crops, the early born heifers are more likely to still be productive within your herd, all because they were born within the first 21 days of the calving season. This data alone shows us that tracking calving distribution, or the total number of calves born every 21 days during the calving season, can be a critical indicator of performance for your herd.

 

 

If you are tagging calves at birth, you can easily collect birth date data, which allows you to calculate the calving interval for individual animals. This will easily translate into calving distribution data for your herd. If calving dates are not being recorded, the measurement of calving interval on a whole herd basis can be accomplished by counting the number of calves born within a herd every 21 days. This will allow the total number of calves per heat cycle to be tracked.

 

 

Video: Episode 107: Think you have a closed herd?

Surveys show many producers believe they operate a closed herd, but what does “closed” really mean? For some, it simply means being genetically closed by raising their own replacements and cleanup bulls, using artificial insemination for new genetics and avoiding the purchase of outsourced cattle. However, being a truly closed herd goes far beyond genetics. A closed herd also works to eliminate as many potential sources of disease introduction as possible. In this episode, we take a closer look at what it truly means to run a closed herd.