Percentages

[flyingS]

I have had a thought in my mind since I attended the Ranching for Profit School. What do most of you consider acceptable percentages. Do you measure calving percentages with cows exposed or cows called pregnant in the fall. I would say pregnant cows in the fall with 5% loss during calving being alright. Weaning percentage I would say should be at least 93% on mature cows. Preg rate on mature cows I think should be between 93% and 96%. Death loss on mature cow herd should not be more than 1% probably more like .5%. Are these reasonable goals? What do most of you expect.

 

[Grassfarmer]

I think your goals are reasonable - certainly very similar to what we achieve.

 

[Big Swede]

Those are reasonable goals flying S. However since we went to summer calving that 5% death loss at calving has dropped considerably. I was talking to my insurance agent last week and he said one ranch up north lost 250 calves last spring because they drifted into a draw and got covered up.

 

[flyingS]

Big Swede, I calved April calvers and a set of May calvers before I came here. It has been really tough adjusting to this fall calving system. Out of 580 mature April calvers we would wean 96% to 98% of calves out of cows called pregnant in the fall and cows bred back consistently at 96%. As you have already found out those are only a few of the advantages. I won't even go into feed cost and labor. The calves still weighed 465 lbs around the 15th of Sept. I am with you all the way on a later calving date. I would like to try a set of June calvers here. I think we could still accomplish our goals.

 

[Big Swede]

I agree with you. With your limited feed resources I bet the May June calving would be a better fit. Wean early, get those cows fat before winter and save some feed.

Do they still have the talking behind your back session at the Ranching for Profit school? That was one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. People look at your operation, how you do things at home, then you have to sit there with your back to the group and they get to critique how you do things. We think we know best how to do things but someone looking over the fence can spot some things that could be done better that we can't see. You do have to have an open mind to listen though.

 

[Justin]

I agree with you. With your limited feed resources I bet the May June calving would be a better fit. Wean early, get those cows fat before winter and save some feed.

Do they still have the talking behind your back session at the Ranching for Profit school? That was one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. People look at your operation, how you do things at home, then you have to sit there with your back to the group and they get to critique how you do things. We think we know best how to do things but someone looking over the fence can spot some things that could be done better that we can't see. You do have to have an open mind to listen though.[/quote]

i'm not sure if that would be fun or not :? :wink:

 

[flyingS]

They sure do Big Swede. It can be a real eye opener. I also made some friends that are pretty local. We have been trying to get together and go over what we have all been working on. These people have helped keep me on track.

 

[Big Swede]

Trust me Justin, it is a real eye opener. The people critiquing your operation don't know or care if that's the way you've always done things, if something you are doing doesn't make sense you will be called on it. It's a great exercise to get you thinking why you do the things you do. You better have a thick skin though and be humble enough to take what you learned back home.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Trust me Justin, it is a real eye opener. The people critiquing your operation don't know or care if that's the way you've always done things, if something you are doing doesn't make sense you will be called on it. It's a great exercise to get you thinking why you do the things you do. You better have a thick skin though and be humble enough to take what you learned back home.

Much like Ranchers then? except here you tend to get shot down as a know it all if you dare suggest something that you have tried that might work for someone else, somewhere else :roll:

 

[Justin]

Trust me Justin, it is a real eye opener. The people critiquing your operation don't know or care if that's the way you've always done things, if something you are doing doesn't make sense you will be called on it. It's a great exercise to get you thinking why you do the things you do. You better have a thick skin though and be humble enough to take what you learned back home.

Much like Ranchers then? except here you tend to get shot down as a know it all if you dare suggest something that you have tried that might work for someone else, somewhere else :roll:

it might have something to do with the messanger instead of the message.

 

[mrj]

Does anyone calving in an extreme climate have comments on calving in very hot weather? Is it pretty hard on the cows, especially in big pastures or under conditions where one may not see every cow multiple times per day...or maybe even every couple of days?

What about fall calving, where fall might be pretty ugly like in SD last fall, cold rains through October, decent Nov, then grass covered with FEET of snow from Dec. 10 till 'thawed' by over an inch of rain early this week???

Just curious. We calve mid April/May and would like to be later, but, one thing against it is bulls next door to our cows' spring/summer pastures make that pretty tough to achieve, as well as wondering about the previous questions.

mrj

 

[Big Swede]

I would say if there is "birthweight issues" in your herd then heat would also be an issue. We haven't pulled a calf out of cows for more years than I can remember so I'm not too worried about the heat issue. Mother Nature could prove me wrong though. You never know what she will throw at you next.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Trust me Justin, it is a real eye opener. The people critiquing your operation don't know or care if that's the way you've always done things, if something you are doing doesn't make sense you will be called on it. It's a great exercise to get you thinking why you do the things you do. You better have a thick skin though and be humble enough to take what you learned back home.

Much like Ranchers then? except here you tend to get shot down as a know it all if you dare suggest something that you have tried that might work for someone else, somewhere else :roll:

it might have something to do with the messanger instead of the message.

It might have, or the folks attending a Ranching for Profit School may be more open minded and prepared to challenge conventional thinking.

 

[Justin]

Much like Ranchers then? except here you tend to get shot down as a know it all if you dare suggest something that you have tried that might work for someone else, somewhere else :roll:

it might have something to do with the messanger instead of the message.

It might have, or the folks attending a Ranching for Profit School may be more open minded and prepared to challenge conventional thinking.

i can't argue with that.

 

[Dylan Biggs]

Preg rate on mature cows I think should be between 93% and 96%. Death loss on mature cow herd should not be more than 1% probably more like .5%. Are these reasonable goals? What do most of you expect.

Preg rate based on what length of breeding season? Preg rate within what level of supplemental feeding and winter environment?

 

[Northern Rancher]

I've calved in -50 and plus 100-I like dealing withy the heat more than the cold-shade is easier to find than enough warm blankets. We get the odd calf get dehydrated if his mother stashes him out on those real hot days. The dehydration might be more a function of some other problem than just the air temprerature-I always think if 95% o9f your herd is doing well I'm not changing things to prop up the weak 5%.

 

[cowhunter]

Lots of big cow/calf operations run bulls on there cattle, year round here. But there comercial cattle with a little ear. Summer calfs are not a problem or, generly winter calfs. I had only a few born this cold winter but lost none. But our heat has to be different from northern heat. I'd hate to know I was worryed about a bunch of cows calfin in one of them blizards where u can't see the barn an hit a 100yds away. And if I had to set with my back turnt while they throwed off on my place, well the highlander blood would boil. I'd get up and leave before that part happened. I made enough off mine to buy 15 registered cracker pairs. Gettin them soon, maintain them, pay the taxes and then some. And kept every heifer with horns to. So I sure would not stand for no chair sittin, back turnin. If u got a problem with somebodys way of doin somethin,tell them in a friendly way like a man. That sounds like some dr. Fill bull sht.

 

[Big Swede]

Cowhunter if you are making a good profit on your place then you must be doing things right. Some of the suggestions at the back turned session might include getting rid of some equipment if you could hire the same job done cheaper and not have the overhead expense of owning all that iron. Another might be rotational grazing, or calving season dates, or planting not so productive farmland back to grass and grazing cattle instead of farming. Lots of constructive ideas that will get you thinking about how and why you do the things you do. I never saw anyone get upset with at the ideas they heard behind their back. It's all in fun and educational too.

 

[flyingS]

Does anyone calving in an extreme climate have comments on calving in very hot weather? Is it pretty hard on the cows, especially in big pastures or under conditions where one may not see every cow multiple times per day...or maybe even every couple of days?

What about fall calving, where fall might be pretty ugly like in SD last fall, cold rains through October, decent Nov, then grass covered with FEET of snow from Dec. 10 till 'thawed' by over an inch of rain early this week???

Just curious. We calve mid April/May and would like to be later, but, one thing against it is bulls next door to our cows' spring/summer pastures make that pretty tough to achieve, as well as wondering about the previous questions.

mrj

MRJ, I calve in Aug. and Sept. The heat doesn't seem to bother much. There are a few days that you will see claves panting but overall, I think far less stressful than a spring blizzard. These cows take an awful lot of feed and sometimes it can be hard to get feed to them.

 

[flyingS]

Dylan, those numbers are based on an April 1 calve date with a 60 day breed with 89% of pregnant cows calving in the first 30 days on a consistent basis. They were supplemented between 650 and 700 lbs of hay per head and enough protein to meet their requirements in the last 90 days of gestation.