  BeefTalk:
Heifers Are Half Done Calving Before Their Expected Calving Date
By Kris Ringwall, Extension Beef Specialist,
NDSU Extension Service
We are less than three weeks from the end of winter and record lows are
claiming what is left of a reasonably mild season. The minus 35 degrees reported
the other morning caused us second thoughts about those producers whose cows
were already calving.
As last week closed out, the anticipation of calving season gave way to
active calving for us. Interestingly, the heifers were due to begin calving on
Feb. 23. Last spring, when the weather was warm, the heifers received an
injection of prostaglandin on May 13, with active breeding starting on May 15
and continuing through May 17.
Based on a 283-day gestation table, the big event was planned. However,
Mother Nature is never predictable. This year the heifers started out nine days
early with a bang: three calves on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 14 and six more
the next day. The births have continued: six calved on Sunday; five calves born
on Monday; eight calved on Tuesday; seven calved on Wednesday; eight on
Thursday; and 14 calved on Friday; bringing to 57 the total of calves born
before we were supposed to begin calving.
Sixty heifers have already calved prior to the expected calving date (283
days post breeding), so calving should be easier this year. We won’t need nearly
as many calving pens with 57 of the 120 heifers due to calve already calved.
(Sorry for being a little sarcastic, but the cow continues to stay one step
ahead of technology.)
In general, the season has been going well, with only seven difficult births.
The average birth weight has been 74.5 pounds, with six calves weighing in at 90
or more pounds. Of the heavier calves, two were difficult pulls and where sired
by two of the three bulls utilized last spring. Five calves have died: one was a
malpresentation, two calves were from two sets of twins, one was a difficult
delivery and the latest was a birth in which the calf was born under the fence.
Despite a rigorous effort at successfully calving heifers, failure seems to
lurk close by. Every calf that dies takes a bit of the manager with it. If
problems can happen, they will, and the ramifications are frustrating. But in
the calving business, there is always another cow, and time does not stand
still. Obviously, the future is the only place to go, and the evaluation of this
year’s bulls aids in the selection of next year’s bulls.
A majority of this year’s calves from heifers are products of three Angus
bulls: AAA 11783725, AAA 13384754 and AAA10312571. These bulls have EPD values
for birth weight of -0.3, +2.0 and +0.0, respectively. In previous years these
bulls had average birth weights of 75 pounds, 75 pounds and 81 pounds,
respectively.
Given the average birth weight is 74.5 pounds this year for the Dickinson
Research Extension Center herd, these bulls are quite predictable for use on
heifers. The Center will continue to select bulls for calving ease based on the
EPD value of the bulls. All three of these bulls are AI bulls with high
accuracy. Two of the bulls have accuracy values over 0.99 and the other bull has
an accuracy of 0.84 for birth weight.
Yearling bulls do not have the high accuracy values of proven AI sires. Yet,
none the less, major calving difficulty can be reduced to an infrequent event
when appropriate bulls are selected with proven genetics. By utilizing lower EPD
birth weights, the incidence of calving difficulty with yearling sires can be
reduced.
Producers realize every cow and calf is unique, and no amount of planning
will ever totally eliminate calving problems. Parturition is a normal process
for starting life outside the uterus, and life is not without risk, even at the
get go.
May you find all your ear tags.
Your comments are always welcome at www.BeefTalk.com.
For more information, contact the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement
Association, 1133 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to www.CHAPS2000.COM
on the Internet. In correspondence about this column, refer to BT0132.
###
Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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Graphic --
2003 Current Calving Statistics
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Predicted calving start date February 23
Actual calving start date February 14
Calved by predicted start date 50 %
Current average birth weight 74.5 pounds
Heifers with difficult pulls 12 %
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NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center
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