Im a bit behind.
A normal heifer/cow should be able to calve a reasonably viable calf at 270 days. Viability reduces for each day less. I think inducing calving at less is irresponsible for long term herd health unless it’s hydrops etc and its a case of value salvage with subsequent culling once drug withdrawals are met.
Of course there will always be exceptions of the wee calf that lived and ended up an Olympian but it’s a whole lot of work and probably not commercially sensible. I’ve had a couple of <270 d calves live and kept them but they ended up pets really.
The prolongation of gestation due to breed variability is the main factor in foetal oversize issues. In this I’m referring to the ‘whole’ rather than individuals.
I’m probably sounding like a broken record but in commercial suckler/beef enterprises, select for weaned calves per cow per year and you will be inadvertently selecting for calving ease. This is well demonstrated.
It can be and is done in cattle as much as sheep in areas where it matters as Roy alludes to. Intervention is the problem as all you are doing is propagating the fault, which from a more ‘holistic’ view is anti welfare. You are breeding cattle which need you rather than ones which don’t.
It’s a tough love concept. Short term pain but better for all in the long run.
A normal heifer/cow should be able to calve a reasonably viable calf at 270 days. Viability reduces for each day less. I think inducing calving at less is irresponsible for long term herd health unless it’s hydrops etc and its a case of value salvage with subsequent culling once drug withdrawals are met.
Of course there will always be exceptions of the wee calf that lived and ended up an Olympian but it’s a whole lot of work and probably not commercially sensible. I’ve had a couple of <270 d calves live and kept them but they ended up pets really.
The prolongation of gestation due to breed variability is the main factor in foetal oversize issues. In this I’m referring to the ‘whole’ rather than individuals.
I’m probably sounding like a broken record but in commercial suckler/beef enterprises, select for weaned calves per cow per year and you will be inadvertently selecting for calving ease. This is well demonstrated.
It can be and is done in cattle as much as sheep in areas where it matters as Roy alludes to. Intervention is the problem as all you are doing is propagating the fault, which from a more ‘holistic’ view is anti welfare. You are breeding cattle which need you rather than ones which don’t.
It’s a tough love concept. Short term pain but better for all in the long run.
