Reproduction

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.

For many producers, calving season is still top of mind, but before long, it will be time to make breeding decisions for the next calf crop.

I think we can all agree that an open first-calf heifer is a costly “uh-oh” for our bottom line. Getting that heifer to calve the first time by her second birthday can be tough and expensive. After that, it would seem the hard work is done, but not so fast.

Breeders who choose to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology create the opportunity to obtain more offspring from valuable females in their herd.

Managing for reproductive success actually begins prior to calving. Effective planning for reproductive health and limiting the impact of anestrus will ensure producers are setting their cows up for the breeding season.