Page 17 - MWC 3-31-2022s

improved feed management. Calves born later in the calv- The Midwest Cattleman · March 31, 2022 · P17
When this occurs, cows are in ing season will be lighter than
better body condition and have their counterparts and usual- weaned prior to this develop- easily evaluate the genetic
the needed resources to build ly sell for a lower $/Hd. price ment, it becomes detrimental potential of their animals by
up a high-quality colostrum compared to calves born earli- to the growth of the calf and optimizing management and
prior to calving. Body condi- er in the calving season. Those its post-weaning performance. leveling the playing field be-
tion becomes critical for the that are put on feed can gain Summary tween calves by exposing them
quality of colostrum produced. additional weight, however You can’t manage what to environmental stressors at
Specifically, during the late these calves will continue to you don’t measure. Through similar stages of development.
gestation period, cows that are be lighter than calves born focusing on consolidating the In order to improve the quali-
in a body condition score of 4 earlier in the calving season, calving season, management ty of data that we’re using to
or lower may see some lower simply as a product of de- of herd health falls in synch. progress the cowherd, it’s very
antibody concentrations in the creased age. Younger calves, Focusing on the foundational important we’re using an un-
colostrum. This translates to a still largely on milk, also have growth of the operation, such biased evaluation process to
weaker immune system from the chance of having an under- as front loading the calving make those decisions. Having
birth compared to calves with developed rumen. Older calves distribution, is paramount in more calves of a similar age is
access to higher quality colos- have had an opportunity to assessing the performance of helpful in this regard, in ad-
trum. By effectively managing develop their rumen through our animals. Once these foun- dition to benefiting the year-
our females, the quality of co- grazing opportunities, howev- dational components are es- year profitability of the opera-
lostrum for calves born earlier er, when younger calves are tablished, producers can more tion. Happy calving.
in the calving season can be
maximized to help set them
up for successful immunity as WHY ARE WE STILL HERE AFTER MORE THAN 25 YEARS?
they continue to develop.
Vaccines
Vaccines, while important,
are only as good as the man-
agement system they are
provided under. The goal of
any vaccine is not to prevent
infection, but rather to form
a robust immune response
against specific organisms,
should the animal become ex-
posed. Depending on the type
of vaccine, the immune system
will respond in different ways.
Vaccines work more efficiently
when given at the appropriate
time according to manufactur-
er or veterinarian recommen-
dations. When calves are born
later in the calving season, this
becomes detrimental to their
vaccine schedule, as well as
the cows due to varying levels
of immunity and responsive-
ness to vaccines. Pre-breed-

ing vaccines should take place MAKE SURE YOU ARE
at least 30 days prior to the
breeding season rather than IN OUR SPECIAL
being given at preg-check or

at bull turnout. When the LIMOUSIN
calving season is drawn out,
this interrupts those vaccine
recommendations if all cows FEATURE
are to be worked at the same
6TH
time. The same applies with APRIL 21ST
calves, if branding or turn-out
shots are being given to calves
with varying ages, the vaccine
becomes less effective at pro-
tecting improperly vaccinated
calves from future exposures.
Calf Growth
A final thought to consid-
er is the overall potential for
growth of the calves being pro-
duced. We know that calves PHONE: 417-644-2993 - EMAIL: CATTLEMAN@CUTTINGEDGEUS.COM
gain approximately 2 lbs. per
day from birth to weaning.