Reproduction

The ideal season for calving has been a hot topic for ranchers over the last several years. The traditional time of year for calving season stretches anywhere from late February to early May.

The majority, at least two-thirds, of cattle producers are spring-calving operations, with calves being born during the months of February through May and some producers having calves hitting the ground as early as late January and as late as May.

I was raised in the southeastern U.S. (Appalachia, to be more specific), and most of my professional career has been spent in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Reproduction has the greatest effect on profitability of a cow herd. If cows don’t breed back, there isn’t much else they can do that matters. One of the main drivers of fertility is body condition score (BCS).

Just like our human families, we spend a lot of time with the cows on our ranch, and they become part of our families. It’s often hard to see them go when the vet draws an “o” on their sides calling them open on pregnancy check day.

Scours are an issue across nearly every operation in the U.S. Though the cause of scours is known – stress, leading to an immune problem – what drives it is different from one region to the next.