Wintertime in Florida for cattle producers means calving time. Calving season can be exciting, hectic, rewarding, and stressful. The major components to a successful calving season are proper herd health, genetic goals with a controlled breeding season, and adequate nutrition. These three factors (in addition to a few others) should lead to a successful and rewarding calving season.
What is a Calving Season?
The definition of a successful calving season can differ from operation to operation, but all should have common goals. Some producers’ success is measured in terms of percentage of live births. For these, the length of the calving season may not be as critical. For others, success is measured in terms of lack of need for assisted births. These programs are often based on dams with strong maternal characteristics bred to bulls with low birth weights. For others success might be measured by the percentage of calves born within the first 30 days or that are all born within 84 days to ensure that cows are truly calving annually.
Herd Health
Herd health is vital in terms of herd longevity and herd development. Herd health can be achieved by a vaccination program (helps immunity), de-worming and fly control protocols, lower stress handling systems, and record keeping. Consulting with your veterinarian is recommend when determining vaccination programs that best fit your operation. Doug Mayo a Livestock and Forages Agent in Jackson County wrote a blog pertaining to when to work cattle in the spring with an explanation of a vaccination program for cows and calves linked HERE.
Breeding Stock Selection
Selection of breeding stock is the foundation of a reproductive program in any operation. Each producer will select the breed, style, and characteristics of cattle they prefer. Breeding and selection traits can be achieved through artificial insemination (AI), natural breeding, bull selection, and/or purchase of bred cows or first-time heifers. Important features when selecting and maintaining cows or bulls include, but are not limited to, temperament, body condition score (BCS), culling factors, estimated progeny differences (EPDs) metrics (milk production, ribeye area, birth weight, weaning weights etc.), and Brahman influence (adding ear to herd). Temperament, EPDs, and Brahman influence are genetically influenced, while BCS and culling factors can be genetically influenced and environmentally influenced. Culling is important for many reasons but most importantly if cows are not calving once a year it is money lost to maintain an open cow. UF/IFAS team members Matt Hersom, Todd Thrift, and Joel Yelich published a paper regarding body condition score HERE. Bulls should have sound legs and health to maintain through breeding season and be semen tested once a year. A publication regarding Fertility and Breeding Evaluation of Bulls is linked HERE.
Nutrition
Nutrition is essential to have healthy cattle all year long who feel their best and can raise a strong calf. Nutritional requirements for cows change throughout the year according to her production cycle. Matt Hersom indicates feed intake, water, energy, protein, and minerals are the five aspects of nutrition to consider in the article linked HERE. Animal characteristics to also consider are breed, age, state of reproduction cycle, environmental requirements, and BCS. The dominant warm season forage in Florida is Bahiagrass, which goes dormant in the winter so supplementation or a cool season forage option is required. Selecting proper supplementation or cool season forages can be different across operations, it is recommended to select what best fits the operation from a management and financial aspect. UF/IFAS has a publication on cool season forage variety recommendations linked HERE .
Ultimately, successful calving season inputs begin months prior and should be considered year-round when determining management decisions. Cows should be calving yearly, and bulls should be semen tested yearly to make a profitable cattle herd. Every operation differs resulting in individually unique approaches to management. I am including a few additional resources that highlight information on reproductive efficiency and herd health. If you need assistance or have questions pertaining to pasture management, livestock, or reproduction please contact me.
https://extension.psu.edu/beef-herd-health
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g2044