44 Farms partners with Walmart??

[Ky hills]

"Dystocia rates in beef heifers may not be controlled by nutritional restriction during late pregnancy. On the contrary, the loss of 0.5 kg/day during the last trimester of pregnancy in beef heifers is associated with weak labor, increased dystocia rate, reduced calf growth rate, prolonged postpartum anestrus, reduced pregnancy rate, and increased morbidity and mortality. It is recommended that heifers be fed to allow modest rates of gain (0.5 kg/day) during late pregnancy. Protein malnutrition in late pregnancy has been associated with weak calf syndrome and may be a factor contributing to neonatal mortality."
Quoted from your article
I totally agree with a cow being in a state of GAIN prior to breeding.
Here's another article:
http://beef2live.com/story-body-conditi ... s-0-122338
and a quote from it: "The moral of this story is: "Young cows must be in good (BCS = 5.5 or better) body condition at calving time to return to estrus cycles soon enough after calving to maintain a 365 day calving interval."

I'm not saying you don't manage to get your cattle bred for 12 months intervals, but all research (this was just ONE article, there are tons of research saying the same thing) says they will perform better with a better BCS.
You are getting your cows to perform, but how much better would they do on your weaning weights if they were in better BCS? Obviously, you are satisfied with your cow performance, and that is all that counts.
I just like to point out facts - research - so that others that are reading our bantering, can make informed decisions.

Using sexed semen to get a female calf will go a long way in reducing, if not completely eliminating dystocia.

Shouldn't calving ease Angus Bulls be sufficient to eliminate dystocia with the exceptions of abnormal presentations.

 

[CattleMan1920]

"Dystocia rates in beef heifers may not be controlled by nutritional restriction during late pregnancy. On the contrary, the loss of 0.5 kg/day during the last trimester of pregnancy in beef heifers is associated with weak labor, increased dystocia rate, reduced calf growth rate, prolonged postpartum anestrus, reduced pregnancy rate, and increased morbidity and mortality. It is recommended that heifers be fed to allow modest rates of gain (0.5 kg/day) during late pregnancy. Protein malnutrition in late pregnancy has been associated with weak calf syndrome and may be a factor contributing to neonatal mortality."
Quoted from your article
I totally agree with a cow being in a state of GAIN prior to breeding.
Here's another article:
http://beef2live.com/story-body-conditi ... s-0-122338
and a quote from it: "The moral of this story is: "Young cows must be in good (BCS = 5.5 or better) body condition at calving time to return to estrus cycles soon enough after calving to maintain a 365 day calving interval."

I'm not saying you don't manage to get your cattle bred for 12 months intervals, but all research (this was just ONE article, there are tons of research saying the same thing) says they will perform better with a better BCS.
You are getting your cows to perform, but how much better would they do on your weaning weights if they were in better BCS? Obviously, you are satisfied with your cow performance, and that is all that counts.
I just like to point out facts - research - so that others that are reading our bantering, can make informed decisions.

Using sexed semen to get a female calf will go a long way in reducing, if not completely eliminating dystocia.

Shouldn't calving ease Angus Bulls be sufficient to eliminate dystocia with the exceptions of abnormal presentations.

Yes, but it's for those that wear a belt AND suspenders. You should be fine with a calving ease Angus bull.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Jeanne hit the nail on the head. It doesn't matter the type of bull or if you use sexed semen it's body condition that matters. I wonder if a BCS of 6 is better than a 5 for a heifer? Being over conditioned "fat" isn't good for calving ease or BW.

 

[Bright Raven]

"Dystocia rates in beef heifers may not be controlled by nutritional restriction during late pregnancy. On the contrary, the loss of 0.5 kg/day during the last trimester of pregnancy in beef heifers is associated with weak labor, increased dystocia rate, reduced calf growth rate, prolonged postpartum anestrus, reduced pregnancy rate, and increased morbidity and mortality. It is recommended that heifers be fed to allow modest rates of gain (0.5 kg/day) during late pregnancy. Protein malnutrition in late pregnancy has been associated with weak calf syndrome and may be a factor contributing to neonatal mortality."
Quoted from your article
I totally agree with a cow being in a state of GAIN prior to breeding.
Here's another article:
http://beef2live.com/story-body-conditi ... s-0-122338
and a quote from it: "The moral of this story is: "Young cows must be in good (BCS = 5.5 or better) body condition at calving time to return to estrus cycles soon enough after calving to maintain a 365 day calving interval."

I'm not saying you don't manage to get your cattle bred for 12 months intervals, but all research (this was just ONE article, there are tons of research saying the same thing) says they will perform better with a better BCS.
You are getting your cows to perform, but how much better would they do on your weaning weights if they were in better BCS? Obviously, you are satisfied with your cow performance, and that is all that counts.
I just like to point out facts - research - so that others that are reading our bantering, can make informed decisions.

Thanks for that post and the links.

Everyone has seen pictures of my cattle. They carry a lot of condition. I get a lot of questions from visitors as to whether I have calving issues.

ON THE CONTRARY. I have lost one calf during partum in 10 years. My calves come into the world like they're on steroids. Vigorous and thrifty. If I were to draw conclusions on my small sample size, I would have to conclude that over conditioning is a benefit to calving. Of course, the data base is too small to make that statement.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Jeanne hit the nail on the head. It doesn't matter the type of bull or if you use sexed semen it's body condition that matters. I wonder if a BCS of 6 is better than a 5 for a heifer? Being over conditioned "fat" isn't good for calving ease or BW.

Grit - for a long time, old timers used to preach to take the protein away from heifers the last 60 days of pregnancy to reduce the size of the calf. Yes, they reduced the size of the calf, but the dam & calf were weak and it caused more dystocia and weak calf syndrome.
Researchers claim fat will not cause dystocia, unless you are talking obese - BCS 8+

In the same article I posted:
http://beef2live.com/story-body-conditi ... s-0-122338
"Other data sets have shown conclusively that cows that calve in thin body condition but regain weight and condition going into the breeding season do not rebreed at the same rate as those that calve in good condition and maintain that condition into the breeding season. Make certain that the supplement program is adequate for your young cows to be in good body condition this spring."
Pretty good article. I will have to post in my newsletter.

 

[gcreekrch]

So, the two options in KY are only to be obese or die from starvation? Sure seems like two extremes to me. Not like that in other states. Why ignore all of the normal majority? Trying to make a point a bit too much? Hard to justify either tubs of tallow or skin and bones. Keep posting the pictures. Good for tourism.

You missed the point: Being simply, that it is much less annoying that a producer is over conditioning Livestock than Livestock that is being straved in conditions where the producer is suffering mortality.

Taken from the post, the point again:

"I think we can all agree on one thing. It is a lot more fun to critique someone who over conditions their livestock than the worthless SOB that starves them."

You'd have to be nuts to post pictures of thin cows that have to hustle for a living on CT. There's way to many dogooders and hobby farmers for even the thickest skinned folks. Ideal condition for a cow is a 4.5 bcs, and I don't see any pictures of those types on here. I'm sure some of the range cows are in that bcs but the northern hair covers the hip and rib bones.

I had better quit sending BR photos of my undernourished cows.

 

[haase]

I'm still trying to figure out what the last 13 pages of the thread has to do with 44 farms and Walmart.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I'm still trying to figure out what the last 13 pages of the thread has to do with 44 farms and Walmart.

like a old feller here, ""dead now"""When he was telling a story about something, or someone..he would mingle a hundred other stories in it,before he got finished with the main one.. :lol:

 

[CattleMan1920]

I'm still trying to figure out what the last 13 pages of the thread has to do with 44 farms and Walmart.

like a old feller here, ""dead now"""When he was telling a story about something, or someone..he would mingle a hundred other stories in it,before he got finished with the main one.. :lol:

LOL! But you have to admit a lot of people have viewed this thread, it's been a colorful conversation.