This is the March excerpt of Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar, ANR-0968-A.

Health Tips

• Watch for grass tetany, particularly with lactating cows grazing lush pastures, such as tall fescue or annual ryegrass.
• Plan summer y control, and review options for anaplasmosis control in the coming months.

Forage & Nutrition Notes

• Monitor body condition scores and adjust nutritional program as needed.
• Fertilize cool-season grasses according to soil tests, if not already done.
• Rotationally graze tall fescue and cool-season annual pastures. Adjust stocking density to prepare for flush of growth in late spring.
• Spray winter annual weeds while still vegetative for better control.

Winter Calving Herd

• Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves as soon as practically possible. Do not implant replacement heifers.
• Start breeding heifers about a month before the cow herd—mid-February to early March.
• Breed cows. Cows bred in late March should calve in early January.
• For calving in mid-January, bulls need to go into pastures in early April.
• Calculate winter calving percentage.

Spring Calving Herd

• Provide good nutrition for lactating cattle and first calf heifers approaching breeding.
• Maintain good calving records and an effective ID system.
• Tag, castrate, dehorn, and implant calves as soon as practically possible. Do not implant replacement heifers.
• Evaluate bulls and schedule breeding soundness evaluations.

Fall Calving Herd

• Schedule pregnancy checks 45 to 60 days after the end of the breeding season.
• Remove bulls by mid-March to finish calving season by end of December.
• Observe cows and heifers for return to heat, and monitor herd body condition.

Read the full Beef Cow Herd Planning Calendar here.

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