AS-397
animal sciences   beef
MANAGEMENT OF THE BEEF CALF CROP
L. A. Nelson. W. L. Singleton and K. S. Hendrix, Department of Animal Sciences, and R. L. Morter, Department of Large Animal Clinics, Purdue University
Profitability of a beef cow-calf enterprise usually is determined by four major factors: (1) percent of calves weaned, (2) calf weaning weight, (3) value per pound of calf and (4) annual cost of maintaining the cow herd. Proper management of the calf crop from birth to weaning greatly influences the first three factors.
In this publication we will discuss those calf management practices deemed essential to all cow-calf operations. If a particular practice has been dealt with more fully in another Purdue Extension publication, that publication is cited; see last page for where to obtain a copy.
Choice of Calving Season
Most producers favor spring calving because it involves less intensive and expensive management practices than at any other season. Spring calving is more “in tune" with Mother Nature; that’s when forage production is at its best and cows generally are more fertile. As weather permits, cows can calve outdoors away from buildings, which helps reduce health problems in newborn calves. Furthermore, non-lactating pregnant cows can be wintered more economically than lactating cows with fall calves. Also, spring-born calves are ready for sale in the fall when demand for feeder calves is greatest. (See publication AS-414, “Beef Herd Management Calendar—Spring Calving Program.”)
Fall calving, in conjunction with spring calving, may be advantageous for some producers in order to better distribute labor demands, bull power needed and season of marketing. Table 1 summarizes the major advantages and disadvantages of spring and fall calving.
Management at Birth
Losing a calf means losing your profit on that cow for a year’s time. Often, proper management at birth can spell the difference! Here are the basic practices to follow at calving time.
1.	If calving in confinement, regardless of the season, provide clean, well-ventilated sheds as calving areas. Calves dropped on clean bedding or, better yet, on pasture have an excellent chance of avoiding scours and other respiratory diseases.
2.	Observe closely all cows at calving time, especially the first-calf heifers. Many producers advocate breeding their yearling heifers 2 weeks before the older cows. This means the heifers will begin calving before the cows, allowing closer observation. Also, this gives first-calf heifers an extra 2 weeks to recover from calving before rebreeding, resulting in a closer grouping of the next year’s calf crop.
3.	A cow in true labor for more than 2 hours, or in unusually severe labor, should be given assistance. Sometimes this involves correcting a minor problem, such as a front foot bent back orthe calf’s