Reducing the calving spread can be a task that it easier said than done. All it takes is one bad year at breeding to undo the hard work in achieving a compact calving season.
With the calving season well underway in some spring calving suckler herds, the breeding season will soon be arriving. If farmers are finding their calvings quite spaced out over the season, they may need to consider how they are going to reduce their calving spread for next year.
Farmers should aim to have their calving dates matched to the grass growth and demand. They should also consider the facilities available on the farm, i.e. have you got enough calving pens to calve down five-eight cows at the one time?
In a spring calving system, farmers should aim to have 60% of cows calved down in the first month and 80% of their cows calved by the second month, according to Teagasc.
What are the benefits?
In suckler herds, one of the main benefits of reducing the calving spread is that the farm will have a more even batch of calves when it comes to selling them as weanlings or feeding on for slaughter.
Having a long drawn-out season can also lead to more mistakes being made. Some farmers can lose focus due to fatigue near the end of the season, which can result in calf mortality.
If the farm is hiring labour, it will reduce the expense if calving is more compact.
In terms of the health of the calves, having an even group means farmers can administer vaccinations for all calves at the same time. It leaves groups easier to monitor, dose and identify health issues if present.
The older weanlings within a group should have a heavier weight at weaning compared to the younger weanlings. Therefore, the more calves that can be born at the start of the season, the higher the output of weight (kg) at weaning will be achieved.
Focusing on compact calving should improve the overall fertility of the herd. It will result in a decrease in the average calving interval, as any cows that are proving difficult to get in-calf need to be considered for culling or selling on.
How do I achieve a more compact calving?
Keeping a watchful eye during the breeding season is crucial for achieving a more compact calving. If using artificial insemination (AI), make sure that your heat detection methods are effective.
If using a stock bull, ensure that he is both fit and fertile prior to being let out with the cows. Monitor the group carefully and note any cows that had repeat heats.
Take the bull away from the herd after nine weeks, and possibly earlier for heifers. After this time you should consider either culling or selling 5-10% of the cows which fall outside the target calving period. These cows can be replaced by retaining or purchasing replacement heifers.
If a farmer is struggling to reduce the spread, aim to have the replacement heifers bred and in-calf at the beginning of the breeding season. Over time, the remaining outliers of the group will be eventually culled out or sold.