12/20/2024
2024 Preg Season in Review
Overall, pregnancy rates have improved when compared to last year. Geographically, our data is comprised primarily of Garden, Keith, Arthur, Grant, Perkins, Deuel, Cheyenne, and Morril counties. We are 4% higher on average than in 2023. Most of the open females have once again been 3-year-olds and old cows in poor body condition. We attribute this to a mild winter and strong grass this summer.
Tips and Tricks and Challenges
Rebreeding success of 1st calf heifers is highly correlated to heifer development.
Tips for heifer development
1. Select replacement heifers from the first 21 days of the calving season.
2. Goal: Heifers weigh 55-65% of mature body weight at breeding. Do not overfeed. I challenge ranchers to weigh their cows. The days of 1200lb cows are long gone.
3. Breed Heifers 2-4 weeks before the cows.
o Pregnancy lasts 283 days. 365-283= 82 days from calving to breeding to maintain yearly calving interval.
o Post calving interval on first calf heifers 80-100 days (longer if thin)
o Heifers must calve before the cows in order to be cycling at the start of their second breeding season.
o To expect 90% of first calf heifers to be cycling by the 21st day of the breeding season requires that heifers are bred to calve 0-40 days prior to the start of mature cows calving season
4. Manage heifers separately from mature cows to monitor BCS.
Bred Cows are more valuable than open cows.
Have you considered leaving your bulls in longer and selling late breds?
Ex: Bulls in May 1 for a 60 day breeding season. Leave your bull in for 90 days and pull him August 1st. We need 40 days post pulling the bull to age the pregnancies. If we preg check on September 10th we would cut anything that is 70 days or later into the “open pen”.
Scheduling is imperative for this to be successful. Please reach out with more questions.
