Cattle Ranchers Choose Their Season
Author: Samantha Ferrat
Cattle Ranchers Choose Their Season
Samantha Ferrat
Agriculture is the one industry in which a truly new product is created, grown and harvested. Farmers and ranchers are solely credited for the creation of new life each and every year. For many ranchers across the U.S., the early spring months bring the beginnings of new life - calving season. But some ranchers choose to breed their cattle for a May-June or a September-October calving season for example. At our place, Ferrat Ranch Limousin, our momma cows are bred to calve in September and October and have done so since the 1960s. Granted, there are pros and cons associated with calving at any time of year, and every ranch knows what works best for their operation and breeding programs. We have found that Fall calving is best suited for our operation for multiple reasons, which currently outweigh any drawbacks.
The labor and infrastructure associated with fall calving can be significantly less than the winter-spring months but demanding nonetheless. Being able to keep our pregnant cows in the pasture grazing throughout the calving season decreases our workload. We do not have to feed them hay during calving. We keep hay that was baled throughout the summer in reserve for snowy weather. We stockpile forage in our calving pasture to ensure we have plenty of grass for grazing throughout the season, as well as provide adequate and necessary salt and minerals for daily consumption, all of which keep the cattle in good health and body condition.
Weather is usually not a problem for fall calving - nothing freezes overnight. The need for barns is not necessary. Extreme heat can sometimes be an issue; we just deal with the weather as best we can, like any other fellow rancher! Herd health is also easier to maintain and sickness is usually greatly reduced when calving in the nicer warm weather. Another positive aspect is not needing to check our cows at night because the temperatures are mild and also the cattle are out on pasture. One would run over calves if trying to check on them at night. We do occasionally bring cows up to our corrals for closer observation which can turn into night checks.
Fall calving suits our operation as we have no high mountain pastures for late-season grazing. In addition, our summer hill pastures are efficiently utilized by the time our pregnant cows are due to come home for calving. We find that our cattle can maintain the desired body condition very efficiently. Calving at a different time than most other ranches in the U.S. gives us management options for marketing our calf crop at times when the markets are not flooded with other cattle, usually resulting in premium prices.
There is not a single system that fits every ranch. For us, continuing to breed our herd for fall calving is a good fit for our operation. What started as a way to better utilize the resources available on our land and reduce labor inputs, has remained profitable and sustainable for over 60 years.
Wishing you all a bountiful harvest, happy fall roundup and successful calving - whichever season you may choose!
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