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Percent calf crop

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efb

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At Sunday brunch after church today my friend and I got into a discussion on why there wasn't more profit on cow/calf operations around here. With calf prices being pretty good you would think there would be ( although costs are also high). The discussion led to percent calf crop. He felt the average in this area was 80 -85%. I am wondering , what is a typical percent calf crop in your area, and what size cow herd would that represent ??
 
Where is your starting point for percentage? If you are talking about percentage of cows exposed to a bull I figure 80%. That breaks down to 7% open(45 day calving) 7% cull rate which leaves 6% for death loss. If I am under 6% on the death loss oh well too bad so sad.
 
80-85 percent is about average around here as well. I have a few less opens than Doug but I cull a little deeper so it averages out. On some young cows a couple years ago I weaned a 95% calf crop of the cows that ran with the bull the year before, but that is the best i have ever done.
 
Running less cattle with my one man operation probably gives me high eighties,pretty simple around here tho,no calf ,no stay,no second chances
good luck
 
In my opinion seedstock operators should be the ones that never give there cows a second chance. It is hard to sell those expensive cows at cull prices but it needs to be done.
 
I have 2 bunches the spring calvers and the fall calvers.I'll take a late calf over no calf but I keep no replacements from them.The fall bunch is also the "Walking Cash" bunch when ever I need a little $$$$$ I pick from them unless I have something else lined up..

The more people want 1/2 down on the rent's in the spring the more fall calvers a guy needs. I would rather feed a pair through the winter than to pay interest on borrowed money all summer.

In a perfect world the money recieved from the fall check should be enough but so far I'm not in a perfect world..

I would guess were in to 85% area on our spring calvers this year last year we were at 93% on them but a dry summer showed through.
 
We're batting a little over 100% this year thanks to twelve sets of live twins. :roll: Need I say that's an unusual year??? :wink: :D :D Actually our best in over 30 years. I guess we float between high 80's and low 90's if you use cows exposed to bulls as a start. It varies a lot by year and the market. Sometimes those older cows aren't worth getting rid of if they're bred. With our cull market being what it is, any pregnant cow has potential, even if it's just to donate her calf for adoption.

A cow who's calf died through no fault of her own may get a second chance if she is a good cow. Open? No way. :shock: Mean? She's gone! :shock: Those are the two unforgivables on our place.
 
100% Most years, I only buy bred cows, nobody gets a second chance, everybody dies, and I get to buy all new cows the next year. Works real well for me.
 
100% most years but I only keep 30 to 50 head - - - I had 40 this year and culled the first monday of August ( drought caused low pastures )cutting me to 33 and we will preg check at harvest and anything not preg will go.

If I get the chance to pick up a few bred bargains this fall I feel I have the hay for about 35 to 40

I cull very heavy and just can't see keeping non producers

It cost just as much to feed an open cow as a bred one and while cattle income from a small group like this does not feed my family it sure come in handy.

I have only had 2 calf deaths in the last 4 years - - - One bull calf got a cockel burr on his penis and a small twin died. I give no shots untill weaning but keep them on good mineral and rotate pastures regulary ( I feel these two practices really help on total herd health) I do walk my herd at lease once a day and usually twice ( my daughter says it is good thearapy ) and feel by keeping a close watch I should not have lost those two calves - - - my observations should have been better.
 
When I had a larger cow herd, I hoped for about a 85% calf crop. This allowed for about 7% open at preg test time and about 7% death loss from then until weaning the next fall. I did not include cows that were intended to be culled. When I had about 400 cows, if I weaned 360 calves I felt pretty darn good, although I always thought I should have done better. It takes about 20% of your calf crop just to maintain your herd, unless you start out with all young and real good cows.
 
I have been running over 90% per cow exposed the last couple of years and feel pretty fortunate. I would have to say that on average most would be about 85%. With a good mineral program and a little bit of management I think most could improve 5% or so.

In my case I have run into some lazy and poor breeding bulls the last two breeding seasons so I will be back closer the 85% figure this year and possibly next year also.
 
Great posts....I am smaller and on good feed and mineral...Most years around 95%... I only give a cow a second chance if it has an identified problem other than her (Lightening for example)...

I was interested in hearing FH's %.....

BTW, this fall crop is going well......5 Cows, 7 calves, all being raised by thier mommas......One momma needed some encouragement, but is starting to not mind the second calf..

PPRM
 
Ummmmm....6 cows and 8 calves, LOL,

BTW, percent exposed .....7 cows and 8 calves...

PPRM
 
Cows...100% +1 in 54 days. Actually +2, but the cow that had raised twins before, rejected one of hers...gave it to a neighbor.
First calf heifers and two year old heifers...50-60%. They run with the cows...no special treatment. First calf heifers get their only chance if they did a good job on their first calf, have a good phenotype, and family history. Two year old heifers become meat...unless I really like their phenotype and have family history, but this will happen only as long as I'm trying to increase herd numbers.

This is on 100% forage/hay and water...no feed, no minerals, no pesticides, no vaccines. I use bulls I raise and almost all cows are home grown coming from genetics that go back to a herd that was closed in the late 1930s. The hand full of cows I've bought in the last 7 years go back to the same herd.

"And at the end of the day, the 'cow' business is what we are engaged in, isn't it?" Lorenzo Lasater
 

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