November is around the corner and for many beef operations that means it's time for the fall breeding season. Breeding should start on November 20th for cows to start calving next September. Special attention should be paid to cows and their calves at this time.
Pre-breeding cattle working should be performed and include deworming cows and vaccinating for Vibrio, Lepto (5-way), IBR, BVD, and Hemophilus somnus. Cows should be moved to high quality pasture or fed the very best hay in order to be in order to maintain proper body condition for successful breeding. In situations where cows are thin or forage quality is low, grain supplementation will be needed.
Fall born calves should be vaccinated for black leg, and castrated, implanted, and tagged if not already. Research has shown that implanting calves will increase weight gain by 10-15%. Ear tags are a must for optimal management and serve as a receipt of your husbandry on the sale date. Combined, these efforts will be rewarded with heavier weaning weights and higher prices.
No comments:
Post a Comment