Managing your Beef Herd

[HillLuing]

What does everyone class as acceptable or good when it comes to the following

% of cows confirmed in calve to mating

% of weaned calves to cows calved

We are looking at some figures we got drawn up for us recently that shows the previous 5 years and it is extremely up and down once you see it all on paper written down!

 

[Limcrazy]

Suckler cows are full of ups and downs problem is the downs are always getting more expensive.
If you're weaning 9 calves for every 10 put to the bull you're doing well.

 

[M-J-G]

Cows in calf depends on bulling period.

On a 3 cycle mating around 3% barren would be good based on 70% conception per cycle.

Weaning % can be carried by twins, so it can be misleading, but I have generally had a twin for a cow that's lost a calf.
An advantage of keeping calving fairly tight.

 

[onesiedale]

Listened to a podcast on this subject only yesterday. All quite Americanised but still relevant.

https://workingcows.net/ep-090-dallas-mount-profitability-targets/

 

[Samcowman]

Cows in calf depends on bulling period.

On a 3 cycle mating around 3% barren would be good based on 70% conception per cycle.

Weaning % can be carried by twins, so it can be misleading, but I have generally had a twin for a cow that's lost a calf.
An advantage of keeping calving fairly tight.

3% empty in 9 weeks is extremely impressive. The best I’ve had is 8% in 13 but usually around the 10% mark now in 11 weeks. A sub fertile bull has cost me the last 2 years. There’s another interesting Working Cows podcast on bull fertility recently. Which is well worthy the listen.
With the amount lost to weaning it all depends on the year anywhere from 1 to 5% but usually about 1 to 2. The 5% being an outlier where a few things hit at once. Bought in pneumonia and coccy.

 

[M-J-G]

3% empty in 9 weeks is extremely impressive. The best I’ve had is 8% in 13 but usually around the 10% mark now in 11 weeks. A sub fertile bull has cost me the last 2 years. There’s another interesting Working Cows podcast on bull fertility recently. Which is well worthy the listen.
With the amount lost to weaning it all depends on the year anywhere from 1 to 5% but usually about 1 to 2. The 5% being an outlier where a few things hit at once. Bought in pneumonia and coccy.

As I said that would 3% would be good. If cows and bulls are fertile a 70% of services can theoretically result in a pregnancy.

 

[Limcrazy]

Higher conception rates if the problem cows all taken out of the equation first. But for benchmarking or similar analysis all cows on farm are counted in to work out calves weaned per cow. This is very different to what scanner man will calculate.

 

[M-J-G]

Higher conception rates if the problem cows all taken out of the equation first. But for benchmarking or similar analysis all cows on farm are counted in to work out calves weaned per cow. This is very different to what scanner man will calculate.

Of course that's obvious, only the delusional would even stop to consider to not count all cows.

But 100 cows bulled, 5 empty, 6 sets of twins and 5 dead calves resulting in 96% isn't unachievable.

 

[AftonShepherd]

Higher conception rates if the problem cows all taken out of the equation first. But for benchmarking or similar analysis all cows on farm are counted in to work out calves weaned per cow. This is very different to what scanner man will calculate.

I thought this was suggesting that for benchmarking purposes you would have to include any problem cows which weren't even given the chance of the bull?

Of course that's obvious, only the delusional would even stop to consider to not count all cows.

But 100 cows bulled, 5 empty, 6 sets of twins and 5 dead calves resulting in 96% isn't unachievable.

I would agree that this is how i would do it.

 

[Limcrazy]

Of course that's obvious, only the delusional would even stop to consider to not count all cows.

But 100 cows bulled, 5 empty, 6 sets of twins and 5 dead calves resulting in 96% isn't unachievable.

By my maths that would be 102 calves out of 100 cows. 102%
Definitely be happy with that.

 

[unlacedgecko]

By my maths that would be 102 calves out of 100 cows. 102%
Definitely be happy with that.

It's 96 calves...

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I always wondered how them specialist farming calculators worked .

 

[AftonShepherd]

By my maths that would be 102 calves out of 100 cows. 102%
Definitely be happy with that.

If I send you my lambing figures, could you work out the percentage and send it to my boss please?

 

[Limcrazy]

Doh... I stand corrected maths isn't a strong point probably why I'm still in suckers!
Never seem to get as many twin calves autumn calving or as good conception rates compared to the spring calvers probably with winter feeding and housing at bulling time.

 

[delilah]

calving index.

 

[M-J-G]

Doh... I stand corrected maths isn't a strong point probably why I'm still in suckers!
Never seem to get as many twin calves autumn calving or as good conception rates compared to the spring calvers probably with winter feeding and housing at bulling time.

Spring turnout can play havoc with Autumn calving cows being in early pregnancy when they hit the grass.

 

[willie waver]

I've seen a massive improvement since the bvd eradication scheme. was expensive and a massive PIA at the time, but turned out to be the best thing ever

 

[Samcowman]

I've seen a massive improvement since the bvd eradication scheme. was expensive and a massive PIA at the time, but turned out to be the best thing ever

I think some of our problems this year could have come from buying in an unknown at the time PI (a family decision). Which resulted in 3 PI calves being born which by the time the results from their test had come back and they had been dealt with resulted in problems ever since.

 

[Davy_g]

Get a handle on IBR, lepto & Johnes too then tackle any mineral / trace element deficiency and there is a world of difference in fertility.
Still plenty to worry about with random events, Tb and the weather.
My aims are pretty simple;
A calf weaned from every cow and every cow to calf with a year.
Achieved it for the first time this year. Always one letting me down before. MooCall calving sensor was also a great help with timely intervention with my 3 breech calvings.

 

[Orkneyboy]

Last year we ran 50 cows with 2 AA bulls for 12 weeks and had 1 scanned empty.
We also ran 10 heifers with the bull for 6 weeks and all scanned in calf.

Out of the 59 calves expected this past spring, we have turned 56 out to grass with their mothers.
I only assisted 1 cow and 1 heifer with calving.
For the first time I never used the calving jack this year at all.
None of the calves were helped up or too sook.

Out of the 3 calves that died, 1 was too small to be viable and never made any attempt to get up, 1 was found calved but dead and 1 was coming head first, immediately corrected and eased out but for some reason was dead on arrival.

We've been BVD accredited for 13 years and Johnes level 1.
We also have quite a light stocking density which I think is a huge help with the castles general health.

If the 56 calves are weaned alive I'll be happy enough with that.
(Got 58 last year though as we got 2 sets of twins!!)