Table 1 shows that fertility is highest in cows that conceive at first service, and it is clear that cows requiring more than two services during the breeding period are the least fertile in the herd. The average is four to six bulls for 100 cows, depending on the type of farm, size of the camps and the number of cows in the breeding herd. This is because it takes some time for the corpus luteum to grow back to its normal state and begin to normally produce new ova again. With good winter grazing, fall calving is a good option. ", "This is very informative and gives me all I need to know. ", "This article is packed full of information!". As any cattleman knows, the time of year when cows calve directly affects many herd management practices: The start of calving is dictated by the start of breeding. % of people told us that this article helped them. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. She has over 20 years of experience working with cattle and crops. Check the hindquarter conformation of the heifer first before you decide to get her bred. Unfortunately, data concerning pregnancy rate at first estrus during the cold months in Texas are not available. Carcass maturity is when bone and muscle growth plateau's off and fat begins to be laid down. Consequently, pregnancy rates are high in herds that have a high proportion of cows showing estrus early in the breeding period. Peak performance occurred in calves born in March (Trails 1 and 2) or April (Trial 3) and declined for all calves born from May through September by as much as 56 (Trial 1), 79 (Trial 2), and 124 (Trial 3) pounds. In contrast, high humidity in eastern, southeastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas suggests that summer breeding may not be advisable. Table 4 shows that if cows exhibit their first estrus after the month of May in Central Texas (Trial 1) or April in the Gulf Coast region (Trial 2), the chances of conceiving are dramatically reduced. Unless a producer retains ownership of summer-born calves to feed through the winter, the calves are unlikely to generate acceptable income. A lone cow or heifer that you have on your farm that does not have access to other herd-mates is a danger for you, particularly when she goes into heat. There are specific guidelines one must follow to ensure that a heifer or cow is ready to be bred. Last Updated: November 20, 2019 After a cow has had a calf, wait 45 to 60 days to breed her again, or when she starts to show signs of heat. AI only has a 60 to 70% success rate if you choose to use it on your cows or heifers. making sure not to breed my heifers til perfect condition and proper growth is established. The data presented do not clearly identify a specific month to calve and breed cows in Texas, but there is no question that summer calving (May through September) in the eastern, central, southern and the Gulf Coast regions of Texas will result in significantly reduced calf performance. A cow should be bred back after she has had a calf. AI follows the same principles and rules mentioned for breeding heifers in order to have a higher success rate in getting her settled. Cow size is an important consideration in choosing when to calve. Females should be at a Cdn BCS between 2.5 and 3.5 (USA BCS of 3 to 5) before breeding season. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. When Will My Cow Have Her Calf. Unfortunately, looks like I am building more fences to separate a 7 month old. "Because of this information, I was able to put my heifers into production at an earlier age, saving time, money, "It's the best site I have visited, because of it I feel very much inspired and very confident to follow my passion. You’ll know a heifer is ready to be bred when she’s started to show signs of heat. ", "Very helpful information. These factors, either singly or in combination, result in low fertility. This will ensure she's big enough and her hips are wide enough to survive the birth process. The information presented in Table 6 should not be used to target a specific month to calve because there is some variation in the data between locations. The best production usually occurs in cows with a Body Condition Score (BCS) or 5 or 6. And remember that AI only has a 60% to 70% success rate. This article was co-authored by Karin Lindquist, a trusted member of wikiHow's community. Normal estrus periods last 24 hours and occur between 17 to 24 days. Arrange it so that your heifers are bred one to two weeks ahead of your cows so that the heifers are calving out a week or two before the cows. Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Choosing the Time of Year to Breed and Calve Beef Cows in Texas. She's worked for a mixed-practice veterinarian, as a sales representative in a farm supply store, and as a research assistant doing rangeland, soil, and crop research. It also takes time for the cow's ovaries and hormonal system to get back to normal. The other follicles were thought to degenerate and a corpus luteum to develop at the sit… ", ratio pertaining to AI. These data were taken from more than 8,000 calves born in the central, southern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas. (Note, though, that using a yearling bull may or may not decrease the size of the calves born. Thumbs up. However, Table 5 shows that Central Texas cows exposed for breeding during November, December and January have acceptable reproductive performance. See. Calves born in those months had adjusted weaning weights (to remove age bias) below that of calves born in cooler months. This article has been viewed 386,014 times. Table 3 shows that 95 percent (Trial 1) to 97 percent (Trial 2) of all pregnancies are attributed to cows conceiving at their first or second estrus. Cows calving in the fall normally need more supplemental feed in the winter, unless cool season pastures are used, than do cows that calve in the spring. The author expresses his thanks to Dr. Tom Troxel, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, for supplying data on cow size. Observations prior to milking are a good, practical time when cows are intermingling and sexually active groups are easily detected. Their average gestation rate is 285 days. Approved. For more tips from our Agricultural co-author, including how to choose a bull for your cow to breed with, read on! If your calving season is different, adjust management practices accordingly. Most, if not all veteran producers can tell if a young bull will sire small calves simply by looking at his conformation and his EPD numbers based off the genetics and EPDs of his sire and dam. Learn more... Knowing when a heifer or cow is ready to be bred is important to a breeding operation. You will always know when a heifer or cow is ready to be bred when they go into heat. Calf Performance as Affected by Month of Birth. I know nothing of breeding, and all the information and tips are very helpful in doing the right, "This article was very informative. ", "Thank for your wonderful way of explaining things that help me. You’ll also want her to be at least 60 percent of the average mature weight of the cowherd to ensure that she’s big enough to grow a calf. Results, at either location, showed pregnancy rates were less than 17 percent in cows displaying their first estrus during July through September. The lack of data on calf performance and fertility for cows in West and North Texas prevents any statement about the appropriate months to calve and breed in those regions. Table 2 shows that cows that display estrus within the first 21 days of breeding have higher pregnancy rates compared to cows displaying estrus after the first 21 days of breeding. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. You need to know when your cows go into estrus and you should keep records of this. The optimum time to breed her is 45 to 60 days after she has had a calf. Breeding beef cattle is done through artificial insemination 12 hours after the cows have showed signs of estrus. You can call an AI technician for breeding your cows. Many cows come on heat in the first six weeks of the breeding season, so you need more bulls to mate with them. There are a few principles about fertility in cows that a producer should consider in deciding when to breed and calve the herd. All the same, watch out for those bulls that have extremely high calving ease EPDs, regardless of what breed they are or you choose. Fall-born calves will be marketed in the spring and calves born in the spring will be marketed in the fall unless the producer can retain ownership of calves past weaning. It can be concluded that high temperatures are very stressful on summer-born calves and will reduce their growth. Principle 3—Most of the pregnancies within a herd occur in the cows with highest fertility. By using our site, you agree to our. The better condition score a cow is after calving, the sooner she'll be ready to breed. ", thing at the right time. Heat stress in cows is known to cause hormone imbalances, reduced quality of ova, early embryo death and reduced blood flow to the uterus. Cows calving in the fall normally need more supplemental feed in the winter, unless cool season pastures are used, than do cows that calve in …

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