Spring calving in the South?

[Post Oak]

What are the pros and cons of spring (April) calving in the southeast? I am going to phase my cows into April calving over the next few years. My forage base is predominantly (unfertilized) bahiagrass and it kicks in along with hop and Durana clover every year around April 1. The reason behind this change is to reduce hay cost. It just does not seem right for a calve to be sucking while it's mother is standing around a hay bale eating hay and the only thing green in sight is my John Deere 5045.

 

[Anonymous]

You're on the right track!

 

[HOSS]

I went the opposite way. I moved my calving season up to February. Hay usage went relatively unchanged since calves are still young and are not pulling so much from momma. I get to sell them before October. In my area of the SE prices drop in October and do not really come back until after Christmas. It also seemed to me that milk production slowed down during the hot part of the summer. I wanted the calves to be on grass in addition to the milk before the high temps hit especially when it stays hot at night. It seems to work better for me.

 

[highgrit]

Well I calve year round. It's not ideal that's for sure. The feed part doesn't really matter, because if it doesn't rain you have to feed and hay. The part I don't like about year round calving is having to deal with the calves all year long. Calves are a pain in the neck. But the best thing about year round calving is you hit the high market. The last 3 years the end of Feb. the price was the highest for the year. And the fall calves were the cheapest by $75.00 + or - a few dollars. I like to have a few bucks coming in year round.

 

[bse]

i think its what works best for you im trying to phase out my spring calvers go to all fall Sept and Oct i dont feed hay till Dec so the calves are big enough when all the mud starts, i dont have to be out in the cold waiting on them to calve. I think i can actually run a few more cows during the summer months because theres lots less head on the grass.

 

[Post Oak]

I went the opposite way. I moved my calving season up to February. Hay usage went relatively unchanged since calves are still young and are not pulling so much from momma. I get to sell them before October. In my area of the SE prices drop in October and do not really come back until after Christmas. It also seemed to me that milk production slowed down during the hot part of the summer. I wanted the calves to be on grass in addition to the milk before the high temps hit especially when it stays hot at night. It seems to work better for me.

That's a good idea. Are you fescue based?

 

[HOSS]

I went the opposite way. I moved my calving season up to February. Hay usage went relatively unchanged since calves are still young and are not pulling so much from momma. I get to sell them before October. In my area of the SE prices drop in October and do not really come back until after Christmas. It also seemed to me that milk production slowed down during the hot part of the summer. I wanted the calves to be on grass in addition to the milk before the high temps hit especially when it stays hot at night. It seems to work better for me.

That's a good idea. Are you fescue based?

Yes.

 

[machslammer]

I have all mine calve between Jan and May usually with 2 late in the year. I like them to all be within a few months so I have a big check coming in at one time and don't have the worry about getting them up several times even though I have the facilities to do so. I do have a
Question...

How do you make cows come back in heat/breed back sooner after they have a calf? 70%(7-10) of my cows from last year have not had calves this year yet, and I was looking back at records and I weaned some calves in July, and these cows look like May before they will have calves. So, once I weaned their calf they bred back.. Any way to get them to breed any sooner. They are 4-10 yrs old...

 

[Post Oak]

I do have a
Question...

How do you make cows come back in heat/breed back sooner after they have a calf? 70%(7-10) of my cows from last year have not had calves this year yet, and I was looking back at records and I weaned some calves in July, and these cows look like May before they will have calves. So, once I weaned their calf they bred back.. Any way to get them to breed any sooner. They are 4-10 yrs old...

What breed/breeds do you have? Herefords usually breed back quicker than anything else.

 

[Post Oak]

I went the opposite way. I moved my calving season up to February. Hay usage went relatively unchanged since calves are still young and are not pulling so much from momma. I get to sell them before October. In my area of the SE prices drop in October and do not really come back until after Christmas. It also seemed to me that milk production slowed down during the hot part of the summer. I wanted the calves to be on grass in addition to the milk before the high temps hit especially when it stays hot at night. It seems to work better for me.

That's a good idea. Are you fescue based?

Yes.

The fescue gives you a good advantage. I live where the Peidmont meets the SandHills. Most of my land is too sandy for fescue.

 

[bse]

how old were your calves? if the cows were bred in July they should calve in April do you leave the bull in? if im understanding you right youve got some problems there settling way to late.
to answer your question you can give them lute at day forty or so after calving but nature will do that for ya theyd need to be 45 days after calving or you could sync them there are ways id start with a bse on your bull.

 

[machslammer]

how old were your calves? if the cows were bred in July they should calve in April do you leave the bull in? if im understanding you right youve got some problems there settling way to late.
to answer your question you can give them lute at day forty or so after calving but nature will do that for ya theyd need to be 45 days after calving or you could sync them there are ways id start with a bse on your bull.

Sold old bull.. new bull in. His BSE and the old one was supposed to be fine per vet.
The calves were 180-210 days old when I weaned them in july.. Had 3/10 that had calves at 9 1/2, 11, and a week from being 12 months . Got one that should calve this week and she will be just a week over a year from last calf. But, the other 6 look like at least May/June. That means they didn;t breed back till Aug/Sept and I weaned in July/Sept. Just seems that they waited to re-breed till calves were gone. I leave bull in there all year long, but would like for the cows to re-breed quicker..

 

[3waycross]

I do have a
Question...

How do you make cows come back in heat/breed back sooner after they have a calf? 70%(7-10) of my cows from last year have not had calves this year yet, and I was looking back at records and I weaned some calves in July, and these cows look like May before they will have calves. So, once I weaned their calf they bred back.. Any way to get them to breed any sooner. They are 4-10 yrs old...

What breed/breeds do you have? Herefords usually breed back quicker than anything else.

Nutrition, Mineral, and A good bull...............i used a different clean up bull this year. He moved up some of my cows as much as 45 days.

 

[machslammer]

I do have a
Question...

How do you make cows come back in heat/breed back sooner after they have a calf? 70%(7-10) of my cows from last year have not had calves this year yet, and I was looking back at records and I weaned some calves in July, and these cows look like May before they will have calves. So, once I weaned their calf they bred back.. Any way to get them to breed any sooner. They are 4-10 yrs old...

What breed/breeds do you have? Herefords usually breed back quicker than anything else.

Nutrition, Mineral, and A good bull...............i used a different clean up bull this year. He moved up some of my cows as much as 45 days.

K trying all three... If I give them a shot and try to sync them... Can you do it with a bull in there full time or not? Will some cows just refuse to breed back before weaning? They are black influenced commercial cows.

 

[3waycross]

Had two older cows that weaned very big bull calves right at 700lbs. Both were AI'd on observed heats(after being synched with lute) in Late April. Both of them bred back later in June.

FWIW I wouldn't keep cows that you had to wean their calf to get them to breed back!

 

[phillse]

Machslammer

One thing you can do to help bring cows around faster for herd bull is to pull the calves of the cows for 48 hours when the calves are 45 -60 days old. However, nutrition mineral and bull must be on track. Do a preg check in fall sell any open cows it cost to much to winter an open cow.

 

[High Cotton]

I like for them to calve middle of Febuary to about now. Here your only feeding nursing cows hay for about a month before the grass comes in. Later in the summer when it's gets hot and dry followed by some of the grass starting to play out the calves aren't nursing as much and starting to eat grass. Most years calves are weaned and gone before you feed the first hay bale in the fall.

 

[machslammer]

Machslammer

One thing you can do to help bring cows around faster for herd bull is to pull the calves of the cows for 48 hours when the calves are 45 -60 days old. However, nutrition mineral and bull must be on track. Do a preg check in fall sell any open cows it cost to much to winter an open cow.

That sounds like a good idea, the only bad part is mine don't all have calves at same time so i would be pulling two or three at a time and hope its the right time for the cow to come back in.. How long will a pulled calf stay off and still go back to sucking?I could try to pull a couple and see what happens i guess..ESP on the ones that i know didn't breed back till calves weaned.

 

[u4411clb]

1 con is that calving in April your cows are going to be ready to be bred back in the middle of the summer. And that is hard work on a bull even one with Brahman influence to get out and get those cows in middle of July and into August. Your conception rate is more than likely going to drop.

 

[cypressfarms]

I like to calve in the winter just so I can have the flexibility to sell calves whenever the price is at its best. If you have a calf born April or May, you're going to have to sell it fall or keep it over the winter. However, if a calf is born in the winter, you could sell mid summer while the price is high before the fall drop in price hits.....

At least that's what I've aimed for....