How to have the most productive breeding season

Breeding season preparations are crucial for any cow/calf producer’s bottom line. Their steps will determine if they will have a good calf crop. Good quality calves to sell are the defining factor between a successful and a not successful rancher.

As a cow/calf producer, you hold the key to a successful breeding season. Your management decisions before and during the calving season are crucial. The steps you take now will determine whether you start the season on the right footing or find yourself playing catch-up. Remember, your actions directly impact the health and productivity of your herd.

For a cow to produce a calf every year, she must be rebred 80 days after she has calved. This 80-day timeline is crucial because it takes into account the cow’s reproductive cycle. The 80 days may not seem like a short time, but you must remember that she will not be going into estrus for at least 30 days after that calf is born, so your window is a little shorter.

So, what can you do to prepare for an outstanding breeding season? Well, here are three things that you can look at to improve your chances of having a large calf crop.

Nutrition

The first step in preparing for any breeding season is getting your nutrition program on point. For instance, you could consider a program that includes specific types of feed or supplements to meet the sizeable nutritional requirement for growing a calf and providing milk once it is born. If you are dealing with first—or second-calf heifers, this requirement is even higher because the cow will still be growing.

How much will her nutritional requirements change during this time, well? After calving, cows will need 25% more energy and 41% more protein. Suppose you are lucky enough to have good quality forages. In that case, they will be adequate to meet these increased demands, but honestly, how often does everything work perfectly in ranching?

If her nutritional demands are not fully met, other areas will be affected, such as breeding. Things like her body’s maintenance will take priority over reproduction. Cows that lose weight between calving and breeding season will be delayed in their 1st estrus.

It is easier to have them at a good BCS, usually at a 5 or 6, at calving and then maintain it until breeding season. Since she will have a nursing calf at this time, any additional feed you provide here will mostly go to milk production rather than improving her BCS.

Attention to their mineral needs is also essential because they will require more. Providing a balanced mineral supplement will go a long way toward meeting their needs.

Breeding Season Vaccinations

Cowherd vaccinations constitute a significant component of a complete herd health program. For your cows to perform at their best, they must be healthy.

When you vaccinate your cows, it is usually for three reasons:

1. To prevent any diseases in your cows.
2. To protect the newborn calf from diseases via the colostrum.
3. To protect the unborn calf from any illnesses that may cause abortion.

Depending on where you are located will determine which vaccinations you will need to administer, but here is an excellent general guideline to follow:

  Cows and Bulls

• A long-acting vaccine that includes at least IBR and BVD
• Long-acting Vibrio/Lepto vaccine
• De-wormer
• 7-way clostridia booster (optional)
• For bulls, you will need a Trich booster
• Any other vaccines that are necessary for your area (talk with your local veterinarian)

  Replacement heifers (pre-breeding)

• Modified-live IBR, BVD, PI3, and BRSV
• Vibrio and 5-way lepto
• De-wormer
• 7-way clostridia booster (optional)
• Brucellosis (this can be optional and must be given by an accredited veterinarian before one year of age)
• Other vaccines that are necessary for your area

Pre-breeding vaccines should be given 14-30 days before the start of the breeding season. Giving the vaccines then will provide them with enough time to take effect but not entirely out of their system.

If you are using heifers and/or yearling bulls, you must administer the vaccines a little earlier than the rest. Both doses should be given 21 to 30 days apart, with the second dose administered at the 14-30 day window.

Breeding season examinations

Doing a reproductive examination on your heifers and all your bulls will go a long way in preparing for the breeding season. Performing these tests will let you know if they will do the task you need. Depending on which one you are testing will mean which type of examination you must do.

 Bulls

A producer should do a breeding soundness exam 30-60 days before breeding. An exam at this time will give you enough time to make any adjustments if needed.

During this exam, your vet will check for things like his legs’ soundness and fertility. Checking his soundness will tell you if he can travel your pasture and breed the cows he needs to. The fertility check will include a sperm count and a scrotal circumference check. Your vet will also palpate this area to ensure no abnormal growths could affect his fertility.

Of course, there are other steps to take in preparing a bull for the breeding season. If you want to read more, check out one of my previous posts, “5 tips to prepare bulls for breeding season.”

 Heifers

Courtesy of Beef Improvement Federation

A pelvic area measurement is one of the tried and true methods of reproductive examinations for heifers. Your heifers should have their pelvic areas measured to determine breed ability.

This particular test is also beneficial in a management sense in determining potential culls. Ones with a pelvic area less than 140-150 sq. cm at yearling age or 150-170 sq. cm at breeding should be culled.

Another test you can consider is reproductive tract scoring, which Colorado State University developed. Many universities have found this one to be very effective.

In this test, the ovaries and uterus are palpated, much like in a pregnancy exam, but with a slight difference. The difference is that the development of these organs is noted and rated on a scale of 1-5.

Heifers at a 4 or 5 on this scale are ready for breeding. A producer should consider culling the ones that are at 1 and 2 on the scale.