Preparing for Calving Season

One of the easiest ways to make calving season less stressful on the livestock and producer is to adequately plan prior to calving. Here are some suggestions for operation that we use to make calving season as efficiently and stress free as possible.

Prior to Breeding Season

Before breeding we assess the body condition scores of all potential breeders. Our standard is that mature Cows have a BCS of at least 5 prior to breeding and Heifers at least 6. This ensure that the brood is healthy enough to safely conceive and deliver her calf. At all points in production, we monitor the health of the livestock to keep diseases and deficiencies from infecting our herd, such as BRD (bovine respiratory disease), mineral deficiencies, etc.

Two Months Prior to Calving

On our Ranch, we utilize different pastures for different calving plans. We separate the Heifers from the Cows to ensure that we give each pasture the correct attention for successful calving. We gather our supplies in plenty of time before calving so that we can ensure that we have everything for safe deliveries and healthy livestock. We seek recommendations from our local veterinarian as to which livestock, if any, need a boost of Vitamin E/Selenium supplement prior to delivery.

Supplies we gather:

- Injectable Antibiotics

-Sterile Syringes and Needles

-Scales

-Injectable Supplements

-Ear Tags & Applicator

-Colostrum Supplements

-Oral Calf Feeder (Bottles for nursing & Hoses for force feeding when necessary)

-Record Book

Our goals as a producer are typically 63%, 89% & 95% pregnant by 21, 42, and 63 days. Our record books help us to track when we drop below our goal. This allows us to begin to identify where the problem in production lays. Are we having issues with production due to diseases? Do we have an issue with our bulls power? Have nutritional problems been corrected in an acceptable time? Has breeding been an issue for this head of cattle previously? When we can identify an issue, it is easier to correct the problem. Each calf has a health record kept that includes their ID number, Sire & Dam, health issues treated, birth date and birth weight.

Calving is Here!

Make sure that you have cattle where you can keep a close eye on them for their specific needs. We like to place the Heifers closer up to the house so that it is not only easier to monitor them during calving season, but also we can reach them quicker if there should be any complications. Monitoring of both groups is necessary regardless of them being Cows or Heifers. Difficulties in calving which are not handled swiftly or properly can lead to increased BRD in pre-weaned calves as they have a greater difficulty in absorption of colostral antibodies throughout its pre-yearling phase. If you raise registered livestock, it is imperative to get the birth weight within the first 24 hours of the calves life for the most accurate records. We like to give the mother and calf time to be together and typically weigh at the latter part of our 24 hours window. If possible castration, branding, and dehorning should be done as soon as possible for the least stress on the calf. If your program uses A.I technicians for breeding productions or plan to do so, it is important to call your technician at the start of calving season to set up your appointment. This allows the producer to also get all new Heifers on the same cycle if needed before taken into the A.I. process. After calving, be sure to continue to monitor both Brood and Calf for signs of disease or nutritional needs.

6 to 8 Weeks After Birth

Vaccination for blackleg is imperative in many regions of the United States. Particularly here in Texas, our cattle are more predisposed to suffer from such disease. We vaccinate all calves 6 to 8 weeks after calving to help eliminate this issue from our herd. Please read any and all instructions as well as dosing recommendations on the label and consult a veterinarian if still unsure about injection method, site or dosage. After calving, Cows should be separated that don't have a calf at their side. This is for the benefit of the nursing Cows so that the cattleman may increase the feed for these mothers without loss from Cows not nursing. This will help increase your feeding efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Even with calves on the ground, we still utilize a pasture rotation program. When you introduce the calves young, they are easier to teach the routine of the rotations which also help reduce the chance of disease in the young calves.