The breeding season is just about to get under way for spring calving suckler herds around the country. For suckler farmers, breeding is the most important aspect of herd management to get right.
Issues such as cows not going in-calf, cows slipping in calving date every year, or the use of poor genetics will negatively affect subsequent herd performance and profit.
All three factors are in the control of the farmer and steps can be taken to make improvements.
Before you let the stock bull out with your cows, you should be reviewing your current calving pattern and calf performance. Ask yourself a few key questions:
How many weeks did it take to calve your cows this spring?Is spring calving finished before the breeding season starts?How many late-calving cows are there in the herd that drag out the calving pattern?Are you using herd sires that are breeding calves suited to your market outlet?When do you want cows to start and finish calving?Make changes
If you decide to leave your breeding management unchanged, then you should expect the same results year after year. Only by doing things differently will improvements be made.
The easiest way to tighten the calving pattern is to remove the stock bull. Set a date and stick to it. For example, if breeding starts on 1 June, remove stock bulls on 24 August (12 weeks’ breeding).
Next year, remove the bull on 10 August (10 weeks’ breeding) and 3 August in the following year (nine weeks’ breeding). When making any change to herd management, the first year is always the hardest. Do not expect too much in one year. Be realistic and set achievable goals.
Once you start to see the benefits in terms of cost saving and time, you will be glad you made the changes and you will be more likely to stick with them. Farmers who have moved to compact calving do not go back to calving cows over five or six months.
Late-calving cows
Late-calving cows are a drain on any suckler herd. When calving starts, farmers are focused on cow management and getting live calves on the ground.
But the longer the calving season goes on, the harder it is to maintain the same level of attention as other tasks can get in the way, eg silage, reseeding or off-farm employment.
Eight steps
Outlined below are eight options for dealing with later-calving cows ahead of the breeding season.
1
Identify repeat offenders for sale: look back through herd records and see which cows are repeatedly slipping in calving date each year, or repeatedly calving down at the end of the calving period.
These animals have poor fertility and should be marked for culling or sale, otherwise these animals will be most likely retained and calved again next year.
Selling live shortly after calving, with their calf at foot, is often the best option for these cows.
If cows are under-fleshed, graze them for one month to regain condition and improve sale price.
Bring in additional heifers in their place to maintain cow numbers.
If your herd is under movement restriction, keep these animals in a separate grazing group without a bull and finish after weaning.
2
Pre-breeding scan: if cows are late-calving, is there an underlying health reason? Cows can pick up uterine infections through poor hygiene at calving, eg the farmer not wearing plastic gloves when calving the cow.
Cows may also have ovarian cysts which impacts on fertility. A pre-breeding scan will identify fertility problems, allowing you to take action early.
3
Smaller breeding groups: this option depends on the number of stock bulls available. Smaller breeding groups will ease the demand on a stock bull to cover multiple cows in heat at the same time, especially in a compact calving herd.
4
Sell after weaning: set a date to remove the stock bull/stop using AI. Scan cows around 30 to 40 days later. Cows that are not in-calf by this stage should be separated from the herd and weaned early. The cow is best sold shortly after weaning in early autumn as the animal is likely to be in good body condition, making them suitable for slaughter or a quick finish by buyers in a local mart.
5
Restrict suckling: forward-grazing of calves, to restrict them suckling the cow to morning and evening only, will bring cows back into heat faster.
You will need good fencing in place, preferably mains electric. Use two strands of electric wire to keep the cow and calf separated during the day. Cows will settle if they can see and smell the calf.
A creep gate can be used to let calves into the next paddock.
6
Priority group: keep later calving cows together in one group and graze on top quality grass. Getting these cows to fresh grass straight after calving will increase their energy intake, boosting fertility.
If cows are thin or had a caesarean, offer 1kg to 2kg of meal to improve body condition pre-breeding.
Make sure these animals are well covered for minerals by using a bolus.
7
Short gestation bulls: using a herd sire with a short gestation period will help get cows to calve earlier next year. If purchasing another stock bull is not an option, you could use AI to select suitable bulls. Keep these animals close to the yard if handling for artificial insemination.
8Synchronisation: synchronising can help to bring cows forward in calving date and make use of AI, but it requires regular handling and good facilities to hold cows.
Also, cows need to have cycled at least once after calving, therefore it is best used on cows around 40 to 50 days post-calving. Using a vasectomised bull will help with heat detection.
Is the bull in working order going out to cows? Here are a few pre-breeding checks that should normally be undertaken.
Body condition score
Bulls should be starting the breeding season at a body condition score (BCS) of 3.5 to 4.0.
Young bulls coming direct from a sale need to be weaned off meal gradually and on to a grass-based diet; otherwise, they can become sub-fertile.
Feet and legs
Locomotion is crucial. Lame bulls will not cover cows. Make sure the bull is not coming straight from the shed to the field to start breeding. The bull needs exercise and make sure he is carrying weight evenly on all four feet. If feet need to be pared, it should be done a number of weeks before he is due to start serving cows.
Testicles
Check that testicles are even in size and shape, without any lumps. Swelling will indicate infection. The testicles should feel firm, similar to the area at the base of the thumb on your hand when tensed.
Penis
Check that the penis is straight when extended and has no warts at the tip, or damage.
Top tips
For a young bull in his first year, a rule of thumb is one cow for every month of age. For example, an 18-month-old bull should serve no more than 18 cows.Always monitor a bull to ensure that he is mounting cows correctly and is mobile.Watch for repeat breeding activity after the first three weeks of the season, to pick up any fertility issues early.Rotating stock bulls to a different cow group can reduce the impact of a sub-fertile bull.In a compact calving herd, multiple cows will be in heat on the same day. Mixing some early-calving and later-calving cows will give a better spread of cows coming into heat, making it easier on the bull.
The breeding season is just about to get under way for spring calving suckler herds around the country. For suckler farmers, breeding is the most important aspect of herd management to get right.
Issues such as cows not going in-calf, cows slipping in calving date every year, or the use of poor genetics will negatively affect subsequent herd performance and profit.
All three factors are in the control of the farmer and steps can be taken to make improvements.
Before you let the stock bull out with your cows, you should be reviewing your current calving pattern and calf performance. Ask yourself a few key questions:
How many weeks did it take to calve your cows this spring?Is spring calving finished before the breeding season starts?How many late-calving cows are there in the herd that drag out the calving pattern?Are you using herd sires that are breeding calves suited to your market outlet?When do you want cows to start and finish calving?Make changes
If you decide to leave your breeding management unchanged, then you should expect the same results year after year. Only by doing things differently will improvements be made.
The easiest way to tighten the calving pattern is to remove the stock bull. Set a date and stick to it. For example, if breeding starts on 1 June, remove stock bulls on 24 August (12 weeks’ breeding).
Next year, remove the bull on 10 August (10 weeks’ breeding) and 3 August in the following year (nine weeks’ breeding). When making any change to herd management, the first year is always the hardest. Do not expect too much in one year. Be realistic and set achievable goals.
Once you start to see the benefits in terms of cost saving and time, you will be glad you made the changes and you will be more likely to stick with them. Farmers who have moved to compact calving do not go back to calving cows over five or six months.
Late-calving cows
Late-calving cows are a drain on any suckler herd. When calving starts, farmers are focused on cow management and getting live calves on the ground.
But the longer the calving season goes on, the harder it is to maintain the same level of attention as other tasks can get in the way, eg silage, reseeding or off-farm employment.
Eight steps
Outlined below are eight options for dealing with later-calving cows ahead of the breeding season.
1
Identify repeat offenders for sale: look back through herd records and see which cows are repeatedly slipping in calving date each year, or repeatedly calving down at the end of the calving period.
These animals have poor fertility and should be marked for culling or sale, otherwise these animals will be most likely retained and calved again next year.
Selling live shortly after calving, with their calf at foot, is often the best option for these cows.
If cows are under-fleshed, graze them for one month to regain condition and improve sale price.
Bring in additional heifers in their place to maintain cow numbers.
If your herd is under movement restriction, keep these animals in a separate grazing group without a bull and finish after weaning.
2
Pre-breeding scan: if cows are late-calving, is there an underlying health reason? Cows can pick up uterine infections through poor hygiene at calving, eg the farmer not wearing plastic gloves when calving the cow.
Cows may also have ovarian cysts which impacts on fertility. A pre-breeding scan will identify fertility problems, allowing you to take action early.
3
Smaller breeding groups: this option depends on the number of stock bulls available. Smaller breeding groups will ease the demand on a stock bull to cover multiple cows in heat at the same time, especially in a compact calving herd.
4
Sell after weaning: set a date to remove the stock bull/stop using AI. Scan cows around 30 to 40 days later. Cows that are not in-calf by this stage should be separated from the herd and weaned early. The cow is best sold shortly after weaning in early autumn as the animal is likely to be in good body condition, making them suitable for slaughter or a quick finish by buyers in a local mart.
5
Restrict suckling: forward-grazing of calves, to restrict them suckling the cow to morning and evening only, will bring cows back into heat faster.
You will need good fencing in place, preferably mains electric. Use two strands of electric wire to keep the cow and calf separated during the day. Cows will settle if they can see and smell the calf.
A creep gate can be used to let calves into the next paddock.
6
Priority group: keep later calving cows together in one group and graze on top quality grass. Getting these cows to fresh grass straight after calving will increase their energy intake, boosting fertility.
If cows are thin or had a caesarean, offer 1kg to 2kg of meal to improve body condition pre-breeding.
Make sure these animals are well covered for minerals by using a bolus.
7
Short gestation bulls: using a herd sire with a short gestation period will help get cows to calve earlier next year. If purchasing another stock bull is not an option, you could use AI to select suitable bulls. Keep these animals close to the yard if handling for artificial insemination.
8Synchronisation: synchronising can help to bring cows forward in calving date and make use of AI, but it requires regular handling and good facilities to hold cows.
Also, cows need to have cycled at least once after calving, therefore it is best used on cows around 40 to 50 days post-calving. Using a vasectomised bull will help with heat detection.
Is the bull in working order going out to cows? Here are a few pre-breeding checks that should normally be undertaken.
Body condition score
Bulls should be starting the breeding season at a body condition score (BCS) of 3.5 to 4.0.
Young bulls coming direct from a sale need to be weaned off meal gradually and on to a grass-based diet; otherwise, they can become sub-fertile.
Feet and legs
Locomotion is crucial. Lame bulls will not cover cows. Make sure the bull is not coming straight from the shed to the field to start breeding. The bull needs exercise and make sure he is carrying weight evenly on all four feet. If feet need to be pared, it should be done a number of weeks before he is due to start serving cows.
Testicles
Check that testicles are even in size and shape, without any lumps. Swelling will indicate infection. The testicles should feel firm, similar to the area at the base of the thumb on your hand when tensed.
Penis
Check that the penis is straight when extended and has no warts at the tip, or damage.
Top tips
For a young bull in his first year, a rule of thumb is one cow for every month of age. For example, an 18-month-old bull should serve no more than 18 cows.Always monitor a bull to ensure that he is mounting cows correctly and is mobile.Watch for repeat breeding activity after the first three weeks of the season, to pick up any fertility issues early.Rotating stock bulls to a different cow group can reduce the impact of a sub-fertile bull.In a compact calving herd, multiple cows will be in heat on the same day. Mixing some early-calving and later-calving cows will give a better spread of cows coming into heat, making it easier on the bull. 
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