Nov 28, 2018
Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar: January
This is the January excerpt of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.
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.
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.