– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator
Spring is a very exciting time of year on the farm as it is a season of renewal. It is the beginning of a new crop year and the anticipation of planting this year’s grain crop. Pastures and hay fields are beginning to “green up” and will soon see rapid growth as temperatures increase. For the beef cow-calf producer, it may be the most exciting time of the year as we see the results of months of planning and anticipation of the new calf crop that is on the ground or soon to arrive.
One of the great strengths (and inherent weaknesses) of the beef industry in this country is the amount of genetic diversity that producers have available at our disposal. We need several breeds to fit a wide diversity of environments and production systems. We sometimes misuse the wide variety of genetic choices we have but that is a subject for another day. The bottom line is that a producer can raise just about any type of cattle that they desire and emphasize any number of production traits.
Survey a group of producers as to what traits they choose to emphasize in their programs and you will likely get a wide range of answers. Producers selling feeder calves will tend to focus on weaning weight, those selling market steers will concentrate on yearling weight and carcass traits, while those raising cattle for the show ring will stress phenotype. While getting these segments to come to an agreement on a standard breeding program would be difficult at best, one trait that I’m sure we could get all groups to seek improvement in would be calving ease.
Regardless of your production emphasis, nobody wants to have calving difficulties. Under the current economic conditions facing today’s beef industry, we simply cannot afford to keep a cow for a year without producing a live calf to offset annual costs. The effects of calving difficulties are easily recognized: 1. Decreased calf survival which results in fewer head to sell; 2. Higher labor costs from time devoted to frequent observations and the need to provide assistance during calving; and 3. Delayed rebreeding which results in younger and lighter calves born the following year.
There are several factors that impact calving ease which include nutrition, body condition, and the environment (weather) to name a few. However, I would contend that genetics can play a very significant role in determining the ultimate degree of calving difficulty experienced in an operation. Nearly every prominent breed used in breeding systems today has a Sire Evaluation Program that generates Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) on their sires. EPDs for traits such as Calving Ease Direct (CED), Birth Weight (BW), and Calving Ease Maternal (CEM) can provide valuable information when selecting bloodlines that can help minimize calving difficulties. Assuming that you can achieve calving ease from a sire with an undocumented genetic background or basing it on the physical stature of the sire is simply flawed logic!
Historically, small herds (average herd size in Ohio is less than 20 cows) have experienced difficulty or shown reluctance in trying to emphasize calving ease traits. Given the small average herd size, most herds use a single sire during the breeding season. Many herds attempt to raise their own replacement heifers which complicate the proper use of calving ease genetics. Producers express the desire to own a bull that is acceptable in calving ease traits for heifers but will want use this same bull on the mature cows. There are those uncommon bulls that possess excellent calving ease with superior growth and carcass traits, but they are difficult to find and can be more expensive to own! Unless you are willing to secure such a bull, you will be getting calving ease with your heifers at the expense of potential profitability available from your mature cows.
How can we improve upon the typical scenario of single use sires in small herds? The obvious answer is to artificially inseminate your replacement heifers with a proven calving ease sire. This minimizes the risk of calving difficulties from an unproven sire and allows the producer to use those unique sires with solid calving ease combined with excellent production traits. The majority of producers have shown an unwillingness to use artificial insemination (A.I.) primarily because of the perceived lack of time to accomplish the task. There are several heat synchronization programs available today which can facilitate the implementation of A.I. with a minimal amount of time and labor required from the producer.
Consider this possible production scenario. A cow-calf producer wants to maintain a herd of 15-20 mature cows. He/she annually keeps 3-5 heifers back as replacements. Use a herd bull with the desired production traits to service the cow herd and use proven calving ease A.I. sires to breed the heifers. Keep back a couple of extra heifers more than needed to allow for the inevitable lack of 100% conception with the heifers. Cull the open heifers after the breeding season through traditional marketing options or as freezer beef.
If this production scenario does not appeal to you, here are a couple of additional suggestions. If you want to retain the genetics from your herd, send the heifers to a development center for management through the breeding season. These females can return to the herd after they are confirmed pregnant. Another possibility is to sell the entire calf crop and purchase bred heifers for replacements. In this situation, identify a source of replacement heifers that will blend with your herd in terms of genetics and calving date.
Calving season will soon be winding down in most herds around the state. Now is the time to assess this year’s calving season to determine if improvements need to be made in terms of calving difficulties. Management techniques must be examined for possible improvement. Through the proper use of genetics, the producer can achieve the maximum number of live calves born while not sacrificing performance from the herd. In today’s economic climate, this is a necessity, not an option.