Maintaining a tight calving season has many benefits. But allowing the bull to run with the herd for the ideal service period of 10 weeks, resulting in a calving period extending over 12 weeks, requires discipline and a constant eye on the calendar.
At this time of year, producers with spring calving cows who want to achieve a compact calving period should be considering when to take out the bull.
If the target calving period is February to April, then the bull should be with the cows between mid-May and mid-July. Stop the bull running with the herd now to ensure a tight calving period which does not spread across the summer months.
Later in the season, carry out a pregnancy diagnosis (PD) on the cows and heifers to avoid keeping empty females over the expensive winter feeding period.
Benefits of a compact calving period:
- Simpler cow and calf management
- A more even batch of calves
- Increased weaning weights
- Reduced production costs
- Greater financial returns
- Less labour requirements at calving
- Fewer calf health problems.
Click here to download our suckler herd fertility manual.
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