When do you calve your cows?

whelan2

Was reading on another forum of autumn calving, doesnt seem to be too many left calving now, calve spring and autumn, 2 split groups, so when do you calve your cows?

charolais0153

whelan2 wrote: »

Was reading on another forum of autumn calving, doesnt seem to be too many left calving now, calve spring and autumn, 2 split groups, so when do you calve your cows?

November to february

Mooooo

Oct/ Nov. In autumn. Used to start mid jan then moved out to 1st Feb, calves still prob land 20 jan on.

pure breed

whelan2 wrote:

Was reading on another forum of autumn calving, doesnt seem to be too many left calving now, calve spring and autumn, 2 split groups, so when do you calve your cows?

Split 50/50 between Autumn and Spring with a few stragglers in between to Xmas and June. Nice to have calves coming in strong few wks old now (today) for housing and never scour issues in Autumn.
Spring calves barring the scour issues we have in our shed pretty much look after themselves from being let out in may till housing today.
We usually sell as Weanlings in Feb the spring calves and then the Autumn calves in July / Aug.
Easier AI the Autumn cows for replacements and have a CH stock bull with the Spring calving cows.
Supplements the payments nicely that come late in year usually like Sfp and Glas.

Limestone Cowboy

Mid Feb to mid may, vast majority in March and April though.

Keepgrowing

Oct for winter ladies 10%
14 Feb is PSC for spring then 12 wks of madness

yewtree

Calve feb-april here would perfer to be just calving in feb and march, getting a bit closer to that goal every year.

Brown Podzol

Start the c.20th Jan through to early April. Mean calving date last year was 7th Feb.

Timmaay

Came from AYR calving 5 yrs ago, to "spring" only here last 2years, that's a loose definition of spring, doesn't end till until July. Small liquid quote of 370l/day, which has let me away with all them late calvers, however so many June calvers are a disaster in terms of the March workload, and leaves the calving season too spread out here. I pulled the bull earlier in mid aug this year, and nothing calving after mid may next year, however I've paid the price with several good cows who calved in june, but didn't make the cut to getting back incalf by mid aug, don't know what to do with them, got about 6 that I'm tempted just to take the hit on, serve again in nov, milk on till next June and either calf down or sell on in the early autumn then. Utter madness and I should cull cull cull most yous are gonna say ha, however I have to give the old man who I am still in partnership with some say...

squinn2912

We're about 2/3 Spring 1/3 Autumn. A lot of work with the Autumn ones which are in and out to a yard over the winter. That yard is taken up at the moment with ones not yet weaned but they will go in in the next week or so and the ground won't be tramped any longer. Autumn is fairly tight and all calved within 4-5 weeks of each other. Spring is from mid January until late April. One lady calved in June every year and she's not in calf this year so when her 15th calf is weaned then she will head on. Incredible how attached you get. Big aim to bring them back to Jan-April calving and work out a more defined selling strategy

Dunedin

95% spring calving with a few heifers in autumn

sonnybill

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Mid Feb to mid may, vast majority in March and April though.

I'm much same system as yourself outwintered, minimal housing if required..

Calved three heifers last October as an experiment ... Wouldn't be in a rush to do it again, March calves are the job.. They never look back, they get milk and grass from the off and out the door first few days in October .. Mine were April and into may this year and were too light as a result but it's rained since and I got on well so no regrets

Autumn calves for me are out of sync and are fed all winter and hassle , even indoors I don't think lads count up all they eat, scour treatments etc etc and then at sale time they too strong and bully for many clients and the E per kilo isn't there for the associated costs and hassle

charolais0153

sonnybill wrote: »

I'm much same system as yourself outwintered, minimal housing if required..

Calved three heifers last October as an experiment ... Wouldn't be in a rush to do it again, March calves are the job.. They never look back, they get milk and grass from the off and out the door first few days in October .. Mine were April and into may this year and were too light as a result but it's rained since and I got on well so no regrets

Autumn calves for me are out of sync and are fed all winter and hassle , even indoors I don't think lads count up all they eat, scour treatments etc etc and then at sale time they too strong and bully for many clients and the E per kilo isn't there for the associated costs and hassle

Very different in your situation because of your winterage. Absolutely no point in having a cow in a shed eating silage from oct to march producing nothing.the calves are smaller cis the calves are only weaned 8 weeks pre calving on some of them rather than 5 months before when they calve in march.Make good silage and you don't need much meal.easy ai in a shed . found the worst scours to be in march time when it gets mild.

Grueller

charolais0153 wrote: »

Very different in your situation because of your winterage. Absolutely no point in having a cow in a shed eating silage from oct to march producing nothing.the calves are smaller cis the calves are only weaned 8 weeks pre calving on some of them rather than 5 months before when they calve in march.Make good silage and you don't need much meal.easy ai in a shed . found the worst scours to be in march time when it gets mild.

Could have written this myself. Will be all autumn here in a couple of years. All replacements being kept are Autumn and the bull comes out May 20th from spring calvers this year. Just to add, I sell autumn calves in July at one of two or three sales that Carnew mart run for weanlings that time of year. Restrict grass to dry cows then and buy cast ewes at sub (€50 but did pay up to €63) a head generally and make a twist on them leading into Christmas.

squinn2912

I agree with that. I've seen much more need for intervention from march to may than this end of the year. Weanlings from autumn calvers are always a good trade. Our Autumn calvers almost all calved unassisted and outside in August and September when there is still plenty of grass to get calves going. A lot of feeding at the moment but you could have that in Feb and March too. If you wait on until April or further then you're left with a small animal that is weaned too early and the cow is dry costing you money for 5-6 months. I wouldn't go all autumn calving because if there is any difficulty then there are additional strain on facilities that aren't ready but I'd certainly increase those calving in autumn.

Lady Haywire

We calve at any time of year but mostly Mar/Apr. Only have space in the shed for a few so wouldn't be able to Autumn calve. Having those few for a couple of sales in spring for a bit of money is handy though!

charolais0153

charolais0153 wrote: »

November to february

First cow calved this evening. Charolais heifer. Up and sucked.

Lady Haywire

charolais0153 wrote: »

November October to february

charolais0153 wrote: »

First cow calved this evening. Charolais heifer. Up and sucked.

Fixed your post

RedPeppers

Early Feb to late April here used to be far more spread out but workload was a killer.

Who2

Half august september and the other half february and march but always manage to have at least 1 or 2 calve in May. Dont plan fro it but one way or another its just happened for years.

Noveight

February and March. Usually in the thick of it for Patrick's Day. Sometimes 3-4 late ladies might stretch things in to April or even early May.

KatyMac

Only time I try not to have calves is November, December, January, up to mid-February. Mine are all outwintered and they calve outside 90% or the time. I want the calves to be reasonably well on before the (worst) of the winter starts (!). Have one left she has a couple of days with her, so she is either the last of this season or the first of next.

SuperTortoise

Last season was mostly Feb to early May, did have one or two in November and June, trying to tighten up the season to 8 weeks max.

This season will be from mid Janaury, to mid May, trying to get them calving earlier to have a stronger calf at weaning but have to balance that with the weather we get around here, cows are usually housed from late October to May every year, space in sheds is tight near the end of the season.