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Nebraska | We used to calve in February, now bulls went out for late March and AI cows are due 4/2. One year before we switched, I had bought some short term cows due April 1, and we kept them in their own group all year. Couldn’t have set up a better way to analyze what we were doing if I had planned it to do so.
Winter weather claimed 20% of the February calves and it wasn’t like I wasn’t trying, it was just a brutal February and I didn’t have much for facilities at the time. The February cows took $120/hd more feed than the Aprils and obviously more labor. This was in 2007 I think, and it wasn’t hard to see that if I ever wanted to paid full time wages for full time work with cows, it wasn’t going to be with February calving. There just isn’t enough extra pounds at the right time of the year to make up the difference in cost. Preg rates have been similar regardless of start time. | |
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Changing Calving Season
