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Tag: breeding season management

Managing Your Breeding Season for a Uniform Calf Crop

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Emma Briggs, beef production systems, Hays

As spring arrives across Kansas and breeding season draws near, many cow-calf producers find themselves rethinking traditional calving dates. While we can’t control the weather, we can manage when calves hit the ground by setting a defined breeding window. A well-planned breeding season can better align with labor schedules, feed availability, and marketing goals – and ultimately strengthen the long-term success of your operation. Continue reading “Managing Your Breeding Season for a Uniform Calf Crop” →

Influence of Short-Term Nutritional Changes on Embryo Survival

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby

In an ideal world, each time a cow was inseminated (intentionally inseminated that is, this is an “ideal” world) it would result in a live and healthy calf. Unfortunately, even though fertilization rate is about 95 – 98%, by day 28 after mating, only 70 % are still pregnant and there are further losses before calving. While the significance of this loss is easy to see, research to reduce this loss is still hampered by the lack of a reliable early pregnancy test. Nevertheless, we can improve our understanding of factors that are known to contribute to embryonic loss and seek to minimize the impacts. Continue reading “Influence of Short-Term Nutritional Changes on Embryo Survival” →

Avoid a winter hangover this breeding season

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

by Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby

Winter has been long and difficult.  Cold and wet weather increased energy demands. Cows could be thinner than normal after calving and winter conditions could have negatively influenced bull fertility as well.  Hopefully, weather will support good forage growth this spring but that remains an unknown for now.  Monitoring breeding activity and use of timely pregnancy detection are risk management tools that should be used routinely but are especially important given the recent weather challenges. Continue reading “Avoid a winter hangover this breeding season” →

Tally Time: Keeping on schedule

Posted on by Angie Denton

By Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby, KS

A year ago at this time, wet weather had delayed planting of many spring crops.  This year, cool soil temperatures are doing the same.  Grass growth has also been delayed, and in many cases winter feed supplies are running short.  The challenge for many operators is to give the grass as much time as possible given the current weather conditions, balanced with how long winter-feed supplies can be stretched. Continue reading “Tally Time: Keeping on schedule” →