Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar: November
This is the November excerpt of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.
Health Tips
- Watch for lice and treat as needed.
- Remove any remaining insecticidal ear tags. Old tags release low levels of insecticide that tend to promote development of resistance.
- Follow up on internal parasite control practices.
Forage & Nutrition Notes
- Monitor body condition scores, and adjust nutritional program as needed.
- Modify winter supplementation based on forage analysis information, availability, and herd nutritional requirements.
- Implement management intensive grazing systems on stockpiled tall fescue and bermudagrass.
- Begin monitoring for cool-season annual weed pressure as cool-season forages begin to grow.
- Conduct a forage analysis on stored hay, baleage, and silage before feeding to develop an accurate supplemental strategy.
Winter Calving Herd
- Check weaned calves regularly for health problems.
- Separate bred heifers from the cows, and provide adequate nutrition.
Spring Calving Herd
- Perform a pregnancy check on cows/heifers and cull cows/heifers based on pregnancy status, soundness, health, and performance.
- Implement calf preconditioning programs including vaccinations, weaning strategies, and bunk breaking.
- Select replacement heifers and permanently identify them.
- Wean calves, if not already weaned, depending on pasture conditions and marketing plans.
- Wean calves depending on pasture conditions and marketing plans. After weaning, cull cows based on pregnancy status, soundness, health, and performance.
- Deworm calves at weaning.
Fall Calving Herd
- Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves as soon as practically possible. Do not implant replacement heifers.
- Provide good nutrition for lactating cattle approaching breeding.
- Make sure your bull is ready for breeding season by having a breeding soundness exam done 60 days before the breeding season.
- For artificial insemination programs, have ample semen and supplies on hand. Schedule for estrus synchronization programs, and reserve an artificial insemination technician.
Related Topics
This is the December excerpt of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.
Health Tips
- Monitor cattle for lice.
- Supplement vitamin A, when necessary, if frosted grass or weathered hay is the primary forage source.
Forage & Nutrition Notes
- Monitor body condition scores, and adjust nutritional program as needed.
- Continue using stockpiled tall fescue and bermudagrass.
- Limiting grazing cool-season annuals for a few hours per day is a good way to use winter forages efficiently once they reach a target height of 6 to 8 inches.
- Modify winter supplementation based on forage analysis information, availability, and herd nutritional requirements.
Winter Calving Herd
- Make sure calving supplies are on hand.
- Move heifers into clean, dry pastures, and check frequently.
- Monitor bred heifers closely for calving.
- Tag calves at birth, and keep good calving records (birth weight, tag numbers, cow IDs).
- Establish an ID system, and tag calves at birth.
Spring Calving Herd
- Train calves to eat from a bunk and drink from a water trough.
- Select and permanently identify replacement heifers.
- Plan a heifer development program to reach target breeding weights.
Fall Calving Herd
- Calculate fall calving percentage.
- Watch calves for scours, and restock calving supplies.
- Begin breeding replacement heifers to calve about 1 month before cows.
- Expect heifers bred by early December to calve by mid-September.
- Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves as soon as practically possible. Do not implant replacement heifers.
This is the October excerpt of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.
Health Tips
- Heat stress conditions are still possible in some areas.
- Horn and face fly season is ending. Remove remaining insecticidal fly tags.
Forage & Nutrition Notes
- Monitor body condition scores and adjust nutritional program as needed.
- Consider overseeding warm-season perennial pastures with cool-season annual grasses and legumes.
- Conduct a forage analysis on stored hay, baleage, and silage before feeding to develop an accurate supplementation strategy.
Winter Calving Herd
- Finish weaning late calves.
- Train calves to eat from a bunk and drink from a water trough.
- Select and permanently identify replacement heifers.
- Plan a heifer development program to reach target breeding weights.
Spring Calving Herd
- Perform pregnancy check on cows/heifers and cull cows/ heifers based on pregnancy status, soundness, health, and performance.
- Make sure calves are weaned and weighed within acceptable age range for breed associations and performance record keeping.
- Plan a heifer development program to reach target breeding weights.
Fall Calving Herd
- Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves as soon as practically possible. Do not implant replacement heifers.
- Provide good nutrition for lactating cattle and first-calf heifers approaching breeding.
- Evaluate bulls and line up breeding soundness evaluations.
This is the September excerpt of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.
Health Tips
- Reduce cattle stress during hot weather; provide adequate shade and water.
- Watch for pinkeye.
Forage & Nutrition Notes
- Monitor body condition scores and adjust nutritional program as needed.
- Watch for fall armyworms in pastures and hay fields.
- Prepare to stockpile tall fescue and bermudagrass pastures for winter grazing.
- Watch dallisgrass pastures for ergot contamination.
- Plant and fertilize cool-season forages in prepared seedbeds.
Winter Calving Herd
- Wean calves based on market and pasture conditions, and deworm at weaning.
- Vaccinate for respiratory and other diseases based on veterinary advice.
- Train calves to eat from a bunk and drink from a water trough.
- Perform pregnancy checks on cows/heifers and cull on pregnancy status, soundness, health, and performance.
Spring Calving Herd
- Market bulls that will not be used again for breeding.
- Schedule pregnancy checks 45 to 60 days after the end of the breeding season.
- Observe cows and heifers for return to heat.
Fall Calving Herd
- Monitor bred heifers closely for calving.
- Maintain good calving records.
- Establish an ID system, and tag calves at birth.
- After calving, plan to move cow-calf pairs to clean pasture to minimize health risk.