Bulling period.

[Shann_mann]

I don’t really get why people would want cows calving at one time of the year. I accept it’s not for everyone to always be calving but doesn’t bother me. A few other folks I know who calve all year round say the same. It usually means regular sales of cattle too

Regular sales is a key point. Depending on numbers I always think you’re better calving in 2 blocks if you can. Then you’re got to groups to sale. We do that with the stores of the dairy cows. Sell them every 4 months.

 

[Dave6170]

I ll maybe give a cow another chance with the bull if she loses a calf at calving time and it wasn’t her fault but if they are scanned empty they are gone. Way too long to keep them till next scanning

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Empty cows go, cows that lose a calf by their own fault go, cow that loses a calf through no fault of her own and has milk has a calf set on.

 

[livestock 1]

What don't you get about it?

Are they your cows?

 

[Stw88]

Have tightened up the calving pattern here in the last 5 years. 2 blocks with the aim to have the calves sold before the cow calves again. March and April calves sold October/ November as they come in with the odd late born/ planer one after Xmas. July/ august born calves sold in may out of the shed. Find it easier having eveything to sell at once then you can get on with other jobs. Also tight calving means less nights getting up checking cows in the middle of the night.

 

[livestock 1]

It’s a long time to wait a full year to give a cow or cows the chance of the bull
It’s also a dear way to replace herd numbers

 

[livestock 1]

Have tightened up the calving pattern here in the last 5 years. 2 blocks with the aim to have the calves sold before the cow calves again. March and April calves sold October/ November as they come in with the odd late born/ planer one after Xmas. July/ august born calves sold in may out of the shed. Find it easier having eveything to sell at once then you can get on with other jobs. Also tight calving means less nights getting up checking cows in the middle of the night.

I agree with that part. I’m up through the night a lot in the winter

 

[Fendt65]

Cows 9 weeks wife all year round but reality birthday and Xmas.

 

[AftonShepherd]

Cows 9 weeks wife all year round but reality birthday and Xmas.

Your birthday or hers?

 

[M-J-G]

Are they your cows?

One herd is owned and the other is looked after on a contract.

 

[livestock 1]

I often see cows and calves for sale some are better value than others
A bit like buying a second hand car you don’t get to choose the colour with a cow you don’t get to choose when it calves

 

[Woolless]

Your birthday or hers?

Maybe both

 

[Woolless]

Early days of a suckler herd here. So far for May calving they've had the bull for seven weeks. It's complicated by the fact I work off farm and don't want to be endlessly calving. Even if I was at home, surely it's easier to manage them in a fairly tight block? Or @Shann_mann's suggestion, two tight blocks, would be better?

 

[M-J-G]

I often see cows and calves for sale some are better value than others
A bit like buying a second hand car you don’t get to choose the colour with a cow you don’t get to choose when it calves

I don't consider myself able to control when they calve, but I want to control when they can't.
Even a lot of the AYR dairy guys tend to stop serving in order to have holiday periods.

We used to calve for 4 months in the spring and then 2 or 3 months in the autumn, and on too many occasions when I somewhere to go a cow would be heading about with her tail out.
I personally find more benefits to calving in a tight period than all the time, just as I do with lambing, silage, harvest and sowing, but that's just me, I like to plan and work in straight lines as much as possible.

 

[Jonp]

When I had cows and sheep the cows were timed to calve as the last of the ewes lambed. So that was March April and May when I was tied to that task exclusively.
Cows have now gone so looking forward to a much easier spring with half the workload. Try to keep a tight lambing and can see no reason not to do the same with cows.... relatively small numbers though.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

If you are calving a lot of cows together, do you not find that puts more pressure on calving pens, etc and if some disease does start all calves will be exposed whereas if calvings are AYR or smaller batches, that risk is reduced?

 

[Jonp]

Outdoor calving..just got to be really observant so as to know when and where to look when they start calving!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

If you are calving a lot of cows together, do you not find that puts more pressure on calving pens, etc and if some disease does start all calves will be exposed whereas if calvings are AYR or smaller batches, that risk is reduced?

If I could calve everyone outside in March I’d be very happy

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

If I could calve everyone outside in March I’d be very happy

If I could get them out by May I'd be very happy

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Outdoor calving..just got to be really observant so as to know when and where to look when they start calving!

The thing about May/June calving is the cow comes to a flush of milk on grass when the calf isn't old enough to benefit. You are then bringing them in with a calf that is marginally old enough to sell and needs feeding into the winter. If you calve 3 months earlier the calf is old enough to really benefit from the flush of milk and also from grazed grass. But they need to be inside