Reproduction

Preparing for any breeding season is a year-round process, regardless of what breeding season you manage your cows for. With fall rolling around, there are things to consider, plans to be developed and decisions to be made.

Most U.S. cow-calf producers calve in the spring and become familiar with the need for biosecurity and disease control in their newborns.

Successfully developing good replacement heifers depends on many factors, including age at puberty, herd health (biosecurity, vaccination, etc.) and nutrition.

What defines a fall-calving cow herd depends on the climate and resources available. Calving may occur from August to October in more northern climates and may be October to December on the Southern Plains.

A common fallacy among cow-calf producers is that as long as the cow is bred, it doesn’t matter when she calves – but this misconception can be cleared up.

It’s that time of year when my phone starts to ring and callers on the other end are desperate for me to triage their estrous synchronization dilemmas.