Page 7 - MWC 02-04-2021s

The Midwest Cattleman · February 4, 2021 · P7
Preparing Your Cows for A Successful Breeding Season

By Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky
A successful breeding season of the breeding season, 55% of calves from these thin cows will this increased nutrient require-
begins with management deci- the cows with a BCS of 4 had be born later in the calving sea- ment. Rebreeding efficiency is
sions made prior to calving. As still not initiated estrous cy- son. enhanced in cows that calved
we move into the winter-feed- cles, while more than 90% of Management of BCS after thin if their energy intake is
ing period for spring-calving the cows in more moderate con- calving also impacts rebreed- increased (Rutter and Randle,
cows, cattlemen need to review dition had begun to cycle. Thin ing efficiency. Maintenance re- 1984). Although the best man-
their management plan to en- cows need a longer breeding quirements for energy and pro- agement plan is to calve cows
sure optimal rebreeding and season, which results in more tein increase 25-30% for most in a BCS of 5+, increasing the
success. Rebreeding efficiency open cows in the fall. They may beef cows after calving. Produc- energy to cows that are thin at
can be optimized by focusing also result in lighter calves to ers need to plan their supple- continued on page 26
on body condition score (BCS), sell the next year because the mentation to match or exceed
early assistance during calving
difficulty, scheduling a breed-
ing soundness exam for the
herd sires, planning their herd
reproductive health program,
and developing a plan to reg-
ulate estrus in their first-calf
heifers and late-calving cows.
Reproductive management
begins with evaluation and Annual Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull & Female Sale
management of BCS. Body con-
dition score is a numerical es- Saturday, March 6, 2021
timation of the amount of fat
on the cow’s body. Body condi-
tion score ranges from 1-9; 1 is 12:30 PM • Joplin Regional Stockyards • Carthage, Missouri
emaciated while 9 is extremely
obese. A change in a single BCS
(i.e., 4-5) is usually associated Offering 50 Head - 12-18 Month Old Purebred
with about a 75- pound change Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls
in body weight. Evaluation of
BCS prior to calving and from
calving to breeding is import-
ant to ensure reproductive suc-
cess.
Rebreeding performance of
cows is greatly influenced by
BCS at calving. Cows that are
thin (BCS < 5) at calving take
longer to resume estrous cy-
cles and therefore are delayed
in their ability to rebreed. Re-
search has clearly demonstrat-
ed that as precalving BCS de- HTFG MR LEADER H009 HTFG MR BRUCE ALMIGHTY H008
creases, the number of days
from one calving to the next BA 50% REG #: AMGV1490590 PUREBRED REG#: AMGV1490589
(calving interval) increases HOMOZYGOUS BLACK/ HOMOZYGOUS POLLED
in beef cows. Females with a HOMOZYGOUS POLLED
precalving BCS of less than 5
tend to have production cycles Select Group of Open Purebred Gelbvieh & Balancer Heifers
greater than 1 year. For ex- all females pelvic measured & reproductive scored
ample, cows with a precalving
BCS of 3 would be expected to Sale broadcast live on DV Auction.com
have a calving interval of ap- Videos of sale bulls & heifers will be on dvauction.com
proximately 400 days, while a
cow with a precalving BCS of 6 Call or Email Us to Receive a Catalog!
Call or Email Us to Receive a Catalog!
Call or Email Us to Receive a Catalog!
Call or Email Us to Receive a Catalog!
would have a calving interval of
hilltop-farms@hotmail.com • 417-842-3225
approximately 360 days. South hilltop-farms@hotmail.com • 417-842-3225
hilltop-farms@hotmail.com • 417-842-3225
hilltop-farms@hotmail.com • 417-842-3225
Dakota research illustrates the
influence of precalving BCS on
the percentage of cows that ini- Put a bull with the
tiated estrous cycles after calv-
ing. This experiment demon-
strated that the percentage of Elmer, Brenda, Brad, Katie, Kinsley, Brody H
thin cows that were cycling in Benny, Sarah & Taegan McWilliams F
the first month of the breeding
season (June) was considerably 417-529-0081 | 417-529-7556 | 517-529-6436
lower than for cows that were Committed to Raising Quality Seedstock brand to work for you for
in more moderate body condi- WWW.HILLTOP-FARMS.COM
tion. During the second month