Health Tips

• Use high magnesium mineral supplements for cows on lush pasture to prevent grass tetany.
• Monitor water sources. In severely cold weather, check daily for ice on watering tanks that are not freeze protected.

Forage & Nutrition Notes

• Monitor body condition scores and adjust nutritional program as needed.
• Limit grazing on winter annuals. Two hours of grazing per day and free-choice may stretch early season growth of these forages.
• As adequate forage becomes available, manage cool-season pastures to maintain at least 4-inch stubble height.
• Fertilize cool-season grasses before the flush of spring growth in mid/late spring.

Winter Calving Herd

• Maintain good calving records (birth weight, tag numbers, cow IDs).
• Establish an ID system and tag calves at birth.
• Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves as soon as practically possible. Do not implant replacement heifers.
• Make bull selection decisions for upcoming breeding season. Conduct breeding soundness evaluations on bulls 60 days before the start of breeding season.

Spring Calving Herd

• Evaluate herd sire options for the upcoming breeding season.
• Organize calving supplies and move spring-calving females close to handling facilities.

Fall Calving Herd

• Breed cows. Cows bred in early January should calve in mid-October. Heifers bred in December should calve in mid-September.
• Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves by four months of age. Do not implant replacement heifers.

Read the full Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar here.

Download a PDF of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.