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Optimizing the Breeding Season By Cheryl Kepes
Implementing breeding strategies can improve profits
An efficient and consistent reproductive herd puts money in a producer’s pocketbook. The skyrocketing costs of running a cattle operation, forces producers to dig deep for more ways to tighten expenses. Implementing strategies to optimize breeding season may help with a producer’s bottom line.
Improving Conception Rates
Livestock specialists point to body condition as one of the most important factors to improve conception rates. Proper body score of the female and of the bull if utilizing natural service, are critical. It may seem basic, but experts stress not to overlook the importance of females needing good body condition to be reproductively sound. Producers should check to make sure their females received adequate nutrition through winter, especially as the herd moves into spring breeding season. “They will not cycle if there is not enough energy and nutrition for the body to be able to conceive,” Jenna Monnig, Field Specialist in Livestock at the University of Missouri Extension, said. Now is the time to give those animals a nutritional boost if they need it, in order
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What is an important animal health care protocol you follow?
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“A good mineral program. Minerals help keep the animals’ body in balance and their immune system in check.” Jeff Viles Polk County, Mo.
to bring them up to a better body condition prior to breeding. “If they have calves on them currently, they could do a bit of an early wean and pull the calves off of them, that will get the cows cycling a little earlier,” Monnig added. Additionally, the implementation of an estrus synchronization protocol will facilitate bringing those females into heat. The protocol can be executed with AI or a natural service bull. If using a herd sire for natural cover, a breeding soundness exam (BSE) will assess whether he is healthy and viable for the task.
Tightening the Calving Window
Livestock specialists recommend estrus synchronization as a method to tighten an operation’s calving window. Putting the females through an estrus synchronization protocol will bring the majority of animals into heat on or close to the same day. This allows producers to get the females bred in a condensed time frame, thus shortening the calving window. Utilizing an estrus synchronization protocol can be beneficial in pulling some of the late calvers back in with the main herd. But inevitably, most producers will have a female or so that fails
“It starts at birth with good quality colostrum and vaccinations at birth.”
“Preconditioning calves a month in advance of weaning to soften the stress and building immunity for when you do wean.”
Scott VanZyverden Webster County, Mo.
Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com
Travis Farran Cedar County, Mo.
“Our mineral program. Allowing the cattle to pick and choose what they want has improved herd health, cows breed back, and we have no feet problems or pink eye.”
Josh Salmon St. Clair County, Mo. FEBRUARY 28, 2022
